


The Firefighter and the Teacher

by Thunderbird83



Category: Original Work
Genre: Belly Kink, Childbirth, Crush at First Sight, Crushes, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Firefighters, Fires, Male-Female Friendship, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Penis In Vagina Sex, Pregnancy, Surgery, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex, Violence, paramedicine, teacher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 102,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23859091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thunderbird83/pseuds/Thunderbird83
Summary: When Joel Harrison volunteers to do fire prevention day at the local school a kindergarten teacher catches his eye. Katherine Maguire is a pretty lady with ambition and drive and both of the start crushing on each other at first sight. Follows their relationship from the very start through all the trials and tribulations.Finished! Katherine and Joel date for six months, she becomes pregnant with their daughter. In the nine months that follow each one of them overcomes difficult situations. They fight, they make up, get hurt on the job. Katherine gives up her voiceover career, gets into a band, Joel gets promoted in his career and both of them come home to each other which is all that matters. On June 11th Katherine goes into labor and Joel delivers their beautiful little baby girl.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

In the quiet Maine town of Stonehaven, crickets chirped a warm chorus of springtime, bullfrogs in the nearby swamps croaked their particular flat sounds. Cardinals flew in the air, males fighting for territory while other birds like the mourning doves looked on. It was still a chilly spring that late May as the temperature never seemed to go above 48 degrees. 

Stonehaven’s firehouse was alive with the hum of activity; the firefighters and paramedics had just come back from an early morning house call about ten minutes away. The three firefighters shucked off their gear, hosing down the soot and ash from their jackets, pants and galoshes, drying them off and hanging them up in their lockers. Now and then a cough or grunt escaped the tired firefighters punctuated with the occasional rattle of someone shutting a locker. 

The fire station was brand new and laid out perfectly for their use. A tall gentleman with brown hair and red highlights swung down off of the engine, tucking the key up into the visor. He wore black square glasses and had deep blue eyes, an oblong face that was permanently locked into what his colleagues called his ‘game face’. Raising up his arms above his head he stretched out and gave a little yawn, displaying a set of white teeth that offset his ivory skin color, making him look darker in contrast. 

“Tired already?” another firefighter came out of the engine, taking off his hat and hanging it up. That gentleman was shorter by about four inches, close cropped blonde hair and merry brown eyes. He was rather portly as his colleague was thin, and had a spray of freckles on each cheek of his round face. 

“It was a hard fire to fight, Charlie.” 

“That it was,” Charlie agreed, checking the oxygen tank in the backpack apparatus. “we need to swap these tanks with the hospital and get some new ones. Anyway, aren’t you forgetting something?” 

“What?” 

“Joel, it’s your public relations duty! Fire safety prevention and whatnot at Stonehaven Elementary School. You love doing it!” Charlie hefted an oxygen tank to the rack and secured it in place. 

“Oh, right. I forgot. It’s been a long morning.” Joel agreed, pulling the keys off of the visor of the fire truck, swinging back up into the cab with a little grunt, putting his hand on the wheel while Charlie stood nearby, peeling off his boots. 

“Make sure you have the truck back before four PM so I can exchange the tanks, all right?”

“No promises. Once those kids get a whiff of me they’re all over me. I wouldn’t say no to them and I might also sit down and read to them as well. Got a problem with that?” Joel teased as he started up the fire engine. 

“Not at all! Give those kids my best!” Charlie beamed, “Got all the copies of the worksheets and stuff?” 

“Yeah, they’re in my file folder here!” Joel held it up. “I’ll be back soon!” he put the fire engine in gear and left the firehouse. Charlie took the dripping wet coat, shook it out a little bit, then put it on the hanger. He shut the front of the coat with the velcro strip, hanging it up in his locker with a little rattle. 

“Hey Wanker, how about some late breakfast?” another voice filtered in through the open door. 

“For the last time, BEN, my last name is Winger not Wanker!” huffing like he was mad, Charlie went into the kitchen where the third fireman had pulled out a carton of eggs, opened up a cupboard door and brought out a small stainless steel bowl. 

“It’ll always be Wanker to me,” Ben teased laughingly, knowing Charlie was just fake mad. The third firefighter was a tall man like Joel, had a thin body build, wore wire rimmed glasses, and had black hair that curled slightly. Ben had blue eyes also like Joel did but his were very light, almost pale blue. “come on, Wanker, how do you like your eggs?” 

“Well, if I was a girl I’d be saying-” 

“Hey!” Ben shot back with a smile. He cracked two eggs into the bowl and began to whip them with a fork, making a slapping wet sound. “Just answer the question, all right?” 

“You are such a prude!” Charlie peeked into the refrigerator, leaving a smear of handprints across the stainless steel. 

“Am not! My girlfriend loves my sense of humor!” Ben turned on the gas burner under the cast iron skillet on the stove while Charlie shut the refrigerator door with a hollow sound. 

“Your girlfriend is a robot! Mine is lively and full of beans!” Charlie retrieved a cup from the cupboard and sat down at the bar, pouring himself a drink. 

“I don’t think so, Chuckers,” Ben rolled his eyes, sliding a spatula under the eggs in the pan. “too bad Joel never had a girlfriend that we know about. He’s a reliable and hard working guy. He deserves someone.” 

“He’s married to his job. I’ve seen that look a million times. Joel isn’t going to surrender to relationship monotony the way we have. He’s driven and won’t have his head turned by a lady no matter how attractive she is.” 

“He deserves happiness in the form of a female. He’s still young, there’s time for him develop a crush. Joel’s not as impervious as he comes off.” Ben knew that his colleague and friend was just as human as the rest of them and he knew that at some point Joel was going to be looking for a relationship if he hadn’t been already. The right female was out there for him, Ben always told Joel. 

“True that. Come on and serve those up! I’m a hungry guy!” 

“Coming right up, Wanker!” Ben’s laugh filled the firehouse. 

**

At Stonehaven Elementary School Joel parked the fire engine right up in the cul-de-sac in front of the front door, pulled his firefighting gear off the seat next to him, then remembered to grab the file folder full of handouts for the kids. Walking into the front entrance he was greeted by Denise Sanders the assistant principal who walked him down to the cafeteria. 

“So you’ll have Ms. Maguire’s class today,” Denise told him, shutting the door behind them. “they’re a good bunch of kids.” 

“Ms. Maguire, is she new?” Joel couldn’t remember hearing her name before and he’d been teaching fire prevention and safety for several years. 

“Yes she is. She’s been teaching for four years though she came to us just last October looking to teach kindergarten. She does science and also teaches music.” they entered into the cafeteria which had a stage at one end and a big space at the other. The entire cafeteria was painted in white which would give anyone a headache after looking at it for too long. 

Just like he had many times before Joel began to set up with the assistant principal helping. He arranged his gear on the back of a chair, Denise gave him some bottled water in case he got thirsty, then wished him good luck in teaching the kids. 

“Thanks, Denise.” she left. Joel checked his reflection in a window, making sure he looked presentable for the kids then wondered what the new teacher was like. He knew all of them through his volunteer work reading to kids on Fridays after lunchtimes so it was odd he’d never met her before. Maybe she had a free period and worked on her lesson plans, he reminded himself. 

A few minutes later a group of about 15 children poured in through the doorway, eager to see the fireman and what kind of surprises he had in store for them. Joel happily greeted the kids, getting down to their level and shaking hands left and right. 

“All right kids, please sit down and we can let Mr. Harrison here begin,” a teacher’s voice rang out. Joel thought it was melodic, a bit deeper than he would have expected but it was pleasant to hear nonetheless. “sit, please.” 

The babel of voices died down as the kids sat in their chairs, mesmorized by the strange man and his interesting looking gear. Joel took the moment to look at Ms. Maguire who was looking at him. 

“Thank you, Ms. Maguire,” he politely shook her hand. “Joel Harrison.” 

“Charmed. I’m Katherine.” she was shorter than him by about four inches, had bright auburn curly hair, and very dark eyes. Joel couldn’t tell if they were brown or black. The teacher was of average size and build but Joel immediately thought she looked pretty. 

“All right, kids!” the fireman clapped his hands together and went into his firefighting spiel. During his presentation he glanced a few times at Katherine, trying to play to her as well as the kids. She missed his gaze once; the second time she gave him an encouraging smile to continue. 

When he was done demonstrating his equipment he gave the kids the handouts he’d brought with him and showed them a twenty minute instructional video on what to do when there was a fire. Joel turned off the lights, briefly noticing that Katherine had gone into the backstage area for a moment. She re-emerged with some papers, shuffling them together and in her haste to get back nearly walked right into Joel. 

“Oh, sorry,” she brushed back her hair from her face. “I forgot about these and left them by the piano.” 

“That’s fine. They’re watching the video I brought with me,” they walked to the entranceway of the cafeteria. “how long have you been teaching here?” he noticed she only came up to his shoulders in height, had pretty dark pink lips and was wearing minimal makeup. 

“Only since October. I moved from Portland to here so I can avoid cities altogether.” 

“I don’t blame you.” Katherine twisted her hair up with the aid of a butterfly clip she pulled out of her pocket, showing off the small golden hoop earrings she wore. The fireman’s attention was drawn to her almost involuntarily like something was making him look. The teacher was well groomed, wearing a burgundy pants suit and black clogs yet it seemed like he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. 

“So you’re a firefighter and are you a paramedic as well?” she guessed. 

“Guilty as charged,” Joel’s easy smile did not seem to reach her as he had planned. “six years with the county now.” 

“Very nice. I studied medicine before I became a teacher. Fascinating stuff.” 

“Really?”

“Oh yes. I loved learning about the gastrointestinal system the most.” 

Just then one of the students began to act up a little bit so Katherine’s attention was diverted for a few moments. Joel experienced a moment of lightheadedness so he he took a drink off the water bottle, then realized he also felt a little warm for no reason at all. 

When she came back, Joel remembered that she was also the music teacher. “So what instruments do you play?” 

“Piano. I also play some drums.” 

“Do you give private lessons?” that question fell out before he could stop it. Where would he find the time to learn an instrument? 

“I don’t, I’m sorry. I have a side job and it takes up all my time.” Katherine’s eyes did not seem to convey the emotions appropriate to her responses. Joel guessed some sort of emotional disconnect going on, but then again they’d just met. It was normal to be guarded in one’s responses to a virtual stranger. 

Just then the video was done and Joel stepped forward again, stepping into teacher mode. Katherine stood nearby, paying attention to what he was saying, giving him an encouraging nod a few times. When he announced that he’d brought the fire engine for them to look at, there was such a cheer of delight even he was surprised to hear it. He led the way, opened up the panels on the side of the engine and explained what they all were. 

The students exclaimed over the truck, trying to keep their hands to themselves, then Joel showed them the ladder mounted on the back, even turning on the siren for ten seconds. 

Before they knew it the time was 12 noon. Joel walked the class back into the cafe to gather up his stuff, dodging the custodians who were setting up the tables for lunch. Katherine was about to go back to the music room off the stage when Joel spied her to say goodbye. 

“Oh, I thought you’d gone!” she exclaimed, looking a little taken aback. “Silly me.” 

The fireman thought the teacher looked a bit flustered though he couldn’t imagine why. They shook hands; Joel noticing that her skin color nearly matched his own, how smooth and supple it was. Katherine smelled faintly of lavender and Joel thought it was enticing. 

“See you at the fair?” there was an annual gathering of first responders the first week of June before school ended. All the kids in the school district with their parents included came in to visit. 

“I might be able to go; I have no idea right now.” Katherine hesitated. 

“It’ll be fun! I won’t make you climb the fire ladder,” he teased gently. “it’s a good time.” 

“All right, I’ll be there.” she gave a little close mouthed smile that suggested she was being tolerant but didn’t appreciated being wheedled into going. 

“I look forward to it.” Joel broke the hand contact when he realized his hands were starting to sweat and his heartbeat was starting to pick up a little bit. 

“I’ve got to prepare for my music class,” Katherine informed him in a kind tone of voice. “it was a pleasure to meet you and I’ll see you at the fair.” 

“Likewise.” he nodded, watching her walk off down the hall and take a left into the teacher’s lounge. With his gear already back on the truck, Joel walked out of the elementary school, mind buzzing about the new teacher. 

**

“So how were the kids? Little monsters?” Charlie asked as soon as Joel came into the living room. 

“Not bad,” the fireman felt like practicing his dart game so he pulled the three darts off of the board, backed up, then started throwing them. “there’s a new teacher there, a Katherine Maguire.”

“What’s she like? Some dowdy old lady who still wears buns in her hair and remembers Roosevelt?” Charlie wisecracked, flinging himself back on the black leather sofa, letting the afternoon sun play across his face and arms. 

“No, I think she’s my age actually.” 

“Really? This is interesting! Is she cute?” 

“Well, cuteness depends on the eye of the beholder, right?”

“No dork, that’s beauty!” 

“Shut up, Wanker!” Joel playfully kicked him, bending down to retrieve a rogue dart. “She’s got auburn wavy hair, dark eyes, and what the doctors would call nonremarkable.” 

“Frumpy then?” 

“No, but definitely attractive. She knows how to dress well for her figure and doesn’t seem to have a problem with controlling kids.” 

“She married?” Charlie yawned, the afternoon sun making him sleepy. After their early morning fire that day a nap would help him out. 

“Divorced. What I noticed was that there didn’t seem to be any expression in her eyes at all. When she smiled it was mechanical. She needs to emote or something.” Joel’s offhanded toss to the dart board missed the target completely and the dart lodged itself into the molding near the window. 

“She might have autism, Joel. My sister and my cousin have it. Katherine there might not know how to react in some situations so she doesn’t react at all. My sis tries to compensate by acting aloof so nothing shakes her.” 

“That could be it,” Joel wrote down his score. “when she sees me next I’ll be more familiar and she might let her guard down. She’s coming to the fair in June.” 

“That leaves a whole two weeks before you see her again!” Charlie teased him happily, feeling the sun nearly push his eyelids closed. He laid back with his hands behind his head. “I hope you can stand the wait.” 

“It’s a small town, genius. We only have one church, one civic building, one library that the historical society operates,” Joel reminded Charlie. “I’ll see her around before that.” 

“We still got a handful of shops. For the size of this town she could be around the corner in an apartment building and we’d never know it.” people did tend to keep to themselves in Stonehaven. 

“She only came here because she hates Portland.” 

“Who doesn’t? I hate Lewiston too; that place was very popular for fires not too long ago. Now it’s a freakin’ ghost town.” Charlie had been a per diem firefighter for that area when all the fires broke out and he had been run ragged for awhile until it all got under control. 

“I hate cities too,” Joel agreed. Having grown up in Westbrook he’d seen more than enough of second rate apartment houses, city squalor, etc. Where he grew up wasn’t particularly safe; there city gangs of thugs, crime, drugs, you name it. His parents had moved to Sanford in order to be closer to some elderly relatives and he’d hated Sanford too. “Katherine discovered the delights of a small town setting and appears to like it like we do.” 

A snore greeted him. Joel put away the darts and chuckled at Charlie, snoozing away like a happy sheep all sprawled out on the couch. 

**  
Katherine came home at about 4 PM after a long day at work. She slung her purse and keys on the table, kicked off her shoes, then put her cell phone on the charger. The kids had been well behaved that day, more than usual which she always thought was kind of odd. Maybe it was the firefighter that inspired them to be good. 

Changing her clothes into a loose t-shirt and track pants, Katherine let down her hair, took off her makeup, then settled down on the couch. She was all caught up in her work; grading had been done and her agenda had been set for the following week. The teacher’s mind went to Joel and how her mind had been going back to him all day since he left the elementary school. From the second she saw him she’d felt a little weak in the knees. Why would she feel that way? Katherine had seen him before reading to the kids on Friday afternoons but she’d always been in a hurry to teach music class. 

“Oh god,” she moaned, putting her hands up above her head. “I think I have a crush on Joel.” too tired to get up, Katherine fell asleep on the couch. 

That night after arriving back from a car accident, Joel cleaned up and went to bed, his mind still buzzing about the new teacher. Why was his mind so obsessed with her now? Why did his hands grow sweaty and why did his heart rate pick up a little bit when he was around her? As much as he racked his brain looking for possibilities he could only come to one conclusion: he had a crush on Katherine Maguire. As much as he liked to say that he was impervious to silly little things like crushes he had to admit that he’d developed one. His last girlfriend had been over a year ago and she’d been a selfish little princess who wanted Joel to stop firefighting and be with her twenty four hours a day. He’d immediately said no and broke up with her there and then. She didn’t get the kind of devotion he had to his duty, his passion, etc and he’d convinced himself that no female would ever understand his lifestyle.

His ex hadn’t been a good fit for him and Katherine’s ex husband hadn’t been a good fit for her, he’d ruminated, wondering how her relationship had deteriorated. Joel shut his eyes and tried to clear his mind, preparing himself for sleep. 

**

Two days later it was the weekend and time for Joel to cut loose and relax. Ben had gone to visit his girlfriend, Charlie was out at a drag racing event with some friends which left Joel alone to keep the firehouse until they got back. He didn’t want to cook that day so he went across the street to the little restaurant on the corner, the Purple Cow to place an order. 

“Hey there, Joel!” the owner, a sprightly petite lady in her fifties greeted him happily. “The usual again today?” 

“Would I ever change, Maggie?” he laughed, leaning on the counter off to one side. Maggie had long black hair, bright green eyes and a happy-go-lucky demeanor. She was easy to talk to and seemed to know everyone in Stonehaven. “Whoa, is that the new schoolteacher?” he recognized the auburn hair easily in the sunlight. 

“Yeah, that’s Katherine,” Maggie agreed. “good looking girl isn’t she?”

“I didn’t say that!” he flushed a bit red in his cheeks as the owner laughed. 

“Your eyes said it!” Joel was watching Katherine as she was pumping gas for her car. It was a nice compact car; not black but navy colored all over. She looked good to his eyes; wearing nothing but jeans, sneakers, and a red camisole top with a khaki jacket. Katherine wore a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses so he could see exactly what she was doing in their reflection. 

“Oh Joel, you have it for her, don’t you? The blush gave it away!” Maggie gave him a knowing look. “Well, I’ve gotten to know Katherine a little bit. She’s been in here once or twice. Really nice girl.” 

“All right, why is she divorced?”

“Abusive husband.” 

“Other talents?”

“Well, Katherine plays a mean piano but her true calling is singing. She’s been doing some jingles for local commercials, voiceover work, etc.” 

“Nice. What’s something about her that you think I’d be surprised about?” Joel teased Maggie. 

“All right: she hates teaching.” 

“Really?” she seemed to like the kids and handle them properly so it was definitely a shock. 

“Yeah! Katherine is not really a fan of kids. From what I’ve been able to gather she’s suffered some serious heartbreak, something about not being able to have kids of her own. I think that was a contributing factor in her divorce.” 

“Oh shit.” they watched as Katherine screwed in the gas cap, shut the fuel door, got into her car and drove away. 

“She’s going into the studio today to record some. Katherine is a shy girl, rather like you. She was in here yesterday and mentioned that she met you. I tried to get her to go into details but all she said is that she thought you were cute.” Maggie winked at him. 

Joel felt like he’d just won an award for outstanding firefighter to the community. “Really, did she say that or are you yanking me?” 

“No, it’s really true. Katherine is a master at disguising her emotions so you can’t be too harsh with her,” Maggie told him diplomatically, not wanting to see Joel set himself up for failure. 

“I thought she had autism.” 

“Nope, Joel. She may give off that impression but Katherine’s like you, shy and guarded most of the time. Give her a chance and she’ll warm up to you. It’s a process. She told me how you cajoled her into attending the fair and said she would have passed if you hadn’t been so damn cute.” Maggie pretended to pinch Joel’s cheek a little bit. 

“Makes sense. What else you got on her?”

“She has a cat, likes the outdoors, loves to swim! Oh, she has a medical condition that you should be aware of. Katherine’s very open about it but you should ask her. I’m not comfortable telling you something she told me that’s medical.” 

“She told me she studied medicine; that’s why she did. Neat. I tell you this, Maggie,” she slid his order across the counter. “I can’t wait to see her again.” 

“You might see her sooner, just in passing.” 

“Thank god for small towns.” he picked up his order, thanked Maggie, then left to go back to the firehouse. On the way he saw Katherine at an intersection, smiled and waved, making sure that she saw him. The teacher gave him a full on smile, returning the wave. The light turned green so she drove on, heading west of town. 

“Wow,” Joel entered the firehouse, putting his covered plate down on the kitchen island. “she gave me a big smile with no hint of shyness.” he opened up his lunch and attacked. 

During the week and a half left of May Joel did not see Katherine in passing at all. It was final exam time, Charlie had reminded him. Even though she taught third grade they still had to pass their standardized testing units and at the fourth grade level they would have to pass their state MEA exams to judge their progress in learning. 

One night Ben caught wind of Joel talking about Katherine and texted his girlfriend, asking if she knew anything of the teacher. “Wow.” he thumbed through the two long texts he had been sent, trying to read it through and paraphrase it quickly. 

“What?” Ben gave Joel a beer as they crashed down on the couch. “Charlie, turn off that godawful show!” sirens were sounding and flashing onscreen, reminding the two firefighters that their days were full of that sort of thing and they didn’t need to be watching it on TV as well. 

“It’s good!” he defended but Ben picked up the remote and turned off the TV. “Fine! I’ll DVR it since you two hens just wanna cluck all day!”

“Buzz off, Wanker.” 

“Oh, fuck you!” Charlie stomped upstairs to the bunk room. 

“So Joel, my girlfriend knows of your new crush, Katherine,” Ben began. “she was a schoolmate of hers. They were never friendly but Katherine was a big risk taker back then. She had what you’d call a reckless streak. Seems there were several flashing incidents in her high school, she did some student modeling as well.” 

“What kind of modeling?” 

“Full frontal,” Ben showed Joel a picture his girlfriend sent him. “serious student artists took the advanced placement course and Katherine has nothing to hide. Check out that pose.” 

It was oddly reminiscent of the boudoir picture in the movie Titanic. Katherine was angled differently with her head up, her auburn hair was much shorter then as it barely touched her shoulder. “Wow. Nothing to hide is true.” Joel could feel a reflex action starting up but now wasn’t the time for that. 

“She mostly does voiceover work now. I think her nudie days are over.. unless she models and doesn’t show her face. Teachers can’t exactly do that you know.” 

“Yeah I know. I learned today that she doesn’t like teaching.” 

“Too bad,” Ben empathized. He’d gone and assisted Joel with kids a few times and had nothing against them. “it must go deeper than that. People just don’t hate kids on principle.” 

“I think so.” Joel refrained from mentioning what Maggie had hinted at that day; that Katherine was unable to have children at all. Nobody wanted that kind of secret to get out so he left it alone. 

Recently all three of the firefighters had been called in as paramedics for a three car accident on the highway just outside of town. Two of them were little children and try as they might they couldn’t resuscitate the kids who died promptly after being fished out of the wrecks. The deaths of children were tragic and it sometimes haunted them. 

“You know the other school age kid in the wreck last week?”

“Yeah? Did she survive?”

“No. The chief told me that when he called to tell us what our schedule was like.” 

“Oh god. When are people gonna learn?” Joel put his head in his hands for a brief moment. So many lives lost because of one moment of carelessness. Ben put his hand on Joel’s shoulder, knowing that his friend usually took deaths of little children harder than anyone else there. It affected all of them to some extent but part of the job was taking it in stride. Unfortunately some died and that was all there was to it. 

“I know. But it’s time for bed. Two days to go until the fair when you can see your crush!” Ben reminded Joel, making him look up and smile. “Maybe she can make you forget what you don’t want to remember.” 

“Or at least she can make it more bearable.” Joel agreed, getting up off the couch and following his friend upstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

The last week of May Katherine was run ragged preparing for tests and getting her pupils ready. Tired and frustrated she made it to her vocal auditions and may have put a little too much emotion into her singing than she realized. The next day during recess she answered a call on her cell phone only to discover that an ad agency really liked her singing and she had the job. It was a national commercial and they were eager to sign her on to sing. “Let’s get this done!” three days later after nightly recording sessions in the studio Katherine sent in three versions of the the jingle and asked the agency which one they liked the most. 

The reply was swift thanks to technology and she was rewarded with a handsome sum for her efforts. The money would go a long way towards keeping her financially secure for the summer so she gratefully deposited the check into savings. Now she would solely concentrate on advancing exams for her students and getting them up into first grade.

A little fantasy crossed her mind as she went to bed that night; Joel and her sitting on a beach while the moon came up. He crossed the gap between them and took her in his arms… Katherine giggled, knowing she could never be that lucky. His arms were probably reserved for someone else and she had  
no claim to them, she told herself. 

Still, it was a good fantasy. 

Joel crossed out the date on the calendar, noting that tomorrow was Saturday, the starting day of the fair during which he would see Katherine. He had so many things he wanted to ask her and hoped that she would remember him. 

“Hang on, does that voice sound familiar?” Charlie was channel surfing as usual but stopped on a fancy tropical setting while a voice sang to a funky Caribbean style tune. 

“Could it be?” Joel was mystified, leaning closer so he could hear better. 

“Do you ever read the local rag, doofus?” Ben thrust the newspaper into his hand. “Page six!” 

“The local rag has a page six? Since when does our town have that many people?” he mocked tiredly as he flicked through the pages. On page six there was a small picture of Katherine with a caption LOCAL VOICE ACTRESS WINS NATIONAL COMMERCIAL. The picture showed Katherine with a pair of headphones on and mouth wide open belting out the jingle into a microphone. 

“Wow!” the firefighter read on in fascination. “Says here she won it from a few women, one in Spain and another in Texas because the company liked the way she played with the tune. Katherine mixed it up, etc, and they really went for it.” 

“Good for her! What is she going to do with her windfall?” Charlie asked lazily, half asleep already. 

“She doesn’t say on here, mostly some guff about how much this teaches her students that dreams can come true if you work hard enough. The PTA will love that fluffy bullshit.” 

“Think she’ll sing for us tomorrow if we ask nicely?” 

“Maybe.” Joel went to bed that evening happy that he would get to see Katherine tomorrow. 

**

It was the first day of the fair so the firefighters all showed up early, getting their fire engine ready for show, pamphlets on hand to distribute, etc. Joel put on his fire hat to keep the sun off of him as he waited for the early birds to show up. A few stragglers came in but closer to 11 AM a lot of people showed up. Ben and Charlie worked the engine, offering for people to climb the fire ladder as long as one of them was behind them for safety’s sake. 

Joel blasted the siren for a few times just to attract attention, then went to the ambulance he’d driven over, chatting with an old friend for a few minutes. He was facing the parking lot when he saw a navy compact car roll into the parking space nearest to the fire engine. Katherine emerged from the car, shaking out her wavy hair, and wearing those mirrored aviator sunglasses he’d seen her in before. 

“Wow.” that seemed to be the word he used by default when he looked at Katherine. Joel flushed but forced it back in case she saw his red cheeks. She wore a simple blue camisole top, jean shorts and sneakers. The firefighter noticed that her skin had a little shine to it which suggested she’d just put sunscreen on. As she got closer to Joel he could tell she was wearing blue-pink lipgloss which made her lips stand out. 

“Yo, Katherine!” Joel waved her down when she got closer. “Gosh you look so different!” 

“I hope so! I’m not a stuffy teacher all the time!” something glittered at her neck, attracting his attention. Her chest also went up and down as she breathed but he forced himself not to focus on that for obvious reasons. 

“That a medic alert ID tag?” it was a small disc made out of stainless steel, a little longer than a choker necklace which bore the red symbol that was painted on the sides and backs of the ambulances. 

“Yeah-it has my allergies. I go into anaphylactic shock when I get stung by any sort of bug. Yellow jackets, wasps, hornets, bees. I’m also allergic to aspirin and penicillin type drugs.” 

“Right. Any other secrets I should know about?” Joel’s playful dark blue eyes locked onto Katherine’s and he finally saw that her eyes were brown in the light. 

“Oh, I don’t know..” Katherine drawled, teasing him. “I’ve got a chronic medical condition that’s made my life hell for the past 20 years.” 

“Really?” Joel’s interest was peaked. “Come inside the ambulance and sit down with me.” the other paramedic wandered off to talk to the others as Joel got up on the fender and into the ambulance, then turned to give Katherine a hand up. He caught that whiff of lavender again which was starting to become a favorite scent of his. 

“Sit down,” she sat on the gurney while he sat on the bench seat. “so what kind of disease is this? Maybe I can guess. I remember that you like the digestive system so you probably have one of that variety. How about GERD?”

“Well I have that but I should show you something that would clear it up completely for you.” she playfully teased. 

“OK, show me,” Katherine laid down on the gurney and pulled up her shirt a few inches. Right next to her navel there was a three inch long scar with marks parallel to the long line which suggested staples. “surgery, eh?”

“Oh yes. Bowel surgery. In fact I need revision surgery and will be going in this summer to get it fixed again.” 

“Really?” Joel glanced at her with concern on his face. “That narrows it down to either Crohn’s or colitis. You don’t have a pouch of any kind so I’m guessing Crohn’s. It’s the more.. well, I can’t compare them at all. The two diseases attack but with varying consequences for each unlucky person.” 

“Truer words were never spoken.” just then a clutch of kids showed up at the ambulance doors, making Joel and Katherine exchange a look. The firefighter straightened up, not sure of what to do but Katherine, with her teacher’s instinct, had an idea to turn the awkward moment into a teaching one. 

“OK, hi, everyone!” she greeted them. “Joel here is going to demonstrate his paramedic skills on me! Let’s say I was in a car accident, I fractured my right femur, broke several ribs and am concussed! So Joel, how would you stabilize me for transport?” 

Oh she was quick, Joel had to give her that. He demonstrated how to splint her break, then said he’d need to check her lungs to make sure she was breathing all right. “Now your teacher here is breathing all right so I don’t see a need to insert a chest tube now I need to examine her head injury. Of course she wouldn’t be conscious,” Joel snapped his fingers in front of her. “sleep.” Katherine shut her eyes with a little grin, making the kids laugh. “she’s unconscious now so what I do is check her vital signs,” he used a blood pressure cuff, the pulse oximeter, and a stethoscope. “her numbers are fine which tell me that her concussion might be minor. To check that I use this little penlight here and check her pupils which are the black dots in the center of her eyes.” Joel brought up the penlight, gently opening Katherine’s eyelid and peering into each one in turn. 

“Her pupils are the same size so her concussion seems to be minor but her continued unconsciousness is a cause for concern so if this was real, I’d be transporting her to the hospital where the doctor would take an x-ray to make sure there was no bleeding or anything.” 

“Then the patient woke up miraculously, nice and whole again!” Katherine opened up her eyes and sat up with a laugh. 

“Come on up and take a look around!” the two adults helped the kids into the ambulance, encouraging their curiosity. 

During lunchtime, Katherine went to take a walk around the craft stalls, buying a beautiful necklace which had rose colored and shaped beads, rose gold and little filigree style green beads. She put it on immediately, grinning at the effect it had given her. Joel had gone with his pals to the picnic area to gossip while Katherine browsed. 

“Hey hey, our local celebrity!” some people hailed Katherine as they walked by. She did a gracious bow with a wide smile then went back to the ambulance. The teacher intended to have a little time to herself so she sprawled out on the grass underneath a pine tree to relax. 

“So where’s your new girl, Joel?” Ben asked as his giggling girlfriend, a blonde named Alexandra joined them. “Hey, babe.” 

“We’re just friends,” Joel admonished. “she wanted to go browse for awhile. Says she has an addiction to craft fairs.” 

“Do you like her more now that she’s away from the boring monotony of school teacher drudgery?” 

“Someone’s using big words lately! She seems very happy and I like her a lot.” 

“I knew Katherine in high school,” Alexandra said unexpectedly. “she’s a shy girl at heart. Just be clear with your intentions and she’ll respect you.” 

“I hear that a lot. Is anyone really close to her?” 

“Katherine just prefers to keep to herself, Joel. The fact she’s treating you like a friend is huge! She keeps people at arm’s length and I think it’s to prevent herself from getting hurt again.” Alexandra lit a cigarette and blew the smoke away from them. 

“I see.” a little more insight into her character was going to work for him. The firefighter understood where she was coming from and resolved to be patient. She was capable of surprising him; the success with the commercial jingle proved that much, now he found himself wondering in what other surprises she had in store. 

When he went back to the ambulance he saw Katherine’s long legs lying on the grass in the shade. A tattoo was visible on her ankle; one of a cat’s paw print. “What are you doing there all alone?” he teased, startling the teacher. She slid her phone back into her pocket and grinned up at Joel. 

“Enjoying a little quiet time. How about you?”

“Well, I’m not on the ground so I guess I’m cleaner,” Joel gave her a hand up and brushed off the pine needles and dirt from her back. “I want to show you something.” He showed her the fire engine, then put his jacket on Katherine, laughing when she said it was too heavy for her. “The jacket’s party trick is this,” he pulled at the top and Katherine felt herself getting hiked up by the arms. “there’s a harness sewn into the inner lining so if I get in trouble my buddies can haul me out.” 

“Oh wow! Have you ever gotten in trouble?” she pulled off the jacket and handed it back to him. 

“I’ve been in some tight spots but never really in serious trouble. I keep my head down and be aware of my surroundings at all times.” 

That afternoon was filled with more chatter and laughter. Joel and Katherine had many similar interests including a mutual love of animals and the outdoors. The teacher liked hiking, swimming and speed boats. Joel liked kayaking, hiking, swimming and camping. Both of them liked contact sports like football and baseball. 

“What on earth? Are they calling your name?” Katherine’s phone buzzed. “They want me to sing for them!” 

“Who’s they?”

“Everyone, I think. Well, I’m not shy when it comes to performing. I did a lot of theater and chorus in high school.” Katherine squared up her shoulders. “I hope they love Queen because I do.” 

“Really?” Joel walked her to the little stage set up. It was nothing more than a karaoke machine but she would do it and blow people away, she resolved. 

“Yes I do. Give me Killer Queen!” Katherine strode up the steps with confidence as Ben and Charlie, practically shaking in anticipation and glee, cycled through the songs hurriedly. “After the first chorus give me Fat Bottomed Girls!” 

Joel was impressed. Katherine teased the crowd, nailing every note perfectly. From the playful narrator of the killer queen as soon as Charlie changed over to Fat Bottom Girls Katherine morphed herself into a dirty girl, carefully keeping it G rated as kids were still around. Charlie and Ben watched her, Charlie’s jaw hung open for a moment or two after the second song ended. Katherine turned around and laughed. 

“If no kids were around I could turn it into a complete striptease.” she put the microphone back in the holster and descended the stage amid applause. 

“Got to be careful though. You were like a different person onstage.” Joel complimented her happily. “Charlie’s going to relieve me giving ambulance tours so how about we walk around?” 

The afternoon was spent with them gossiping over anything that came to their minds. Joel wanted to ask about her divorce but sensed that she wasn’t ready for it yet. She told him about her family a little bit; her parents had been killed ten years ago in a car accident, her brother was estranged from her and she had an uncle who lived south of town. He owned a small ranch where he gave horse riding lessons. 

“He took me in really,” Katherine admitted. “when my folks died. My uncle Jack gave me all the love he could and fought for me when I first became sick before we knew it was Crohn’s disease. I’ll never forget it.” 

“Yeah?” Joel sat on a picnic table bench. “Tell me?” 

“One day I was so sick that I fainted in school, woke up in the hospital. Jack rushed in all agitated, the bloodwork just said chronic malnutrition, etc, which he and I wouldn’t believe. Nothing causes extreme illness without leaving a marker. My uncle chewed out all the staff and got a second opinion which gave us the answer.” 

“Your uncle’s a saint then.” 

Katherine laughed, thinking Joel’s innocent looking face was most becoming to her. “He’d have to be to put up with me. He’s going to look in on me after I come home from surgery.” 

“About that,” Joel wasn’t sure that he wasn’t crossing any lines but he picked up her hand. “would you be OK with me visiting you?” the teacher felt a little giddy-his hand was holding hers! It was just a friendly gesture, she had to remind herself. Still she had to wonder if he was thinking romantic thoughts about her. 

“Sure. Want my number?” they exchanged contact information. 

“Good. I think today we have become friends,” the setting sun framed Joel in the low light so his red highlights started to shine through. “you look so red right now. I can see why you became a fireman.” 

“Like I haven’t heard that one before!” he laughed. Katherine really relaxed that day and opened up to him on some things and he was happy to be one of her friends. They had learned a lot about each other that day to their mutual benefit. Joel was good looking to her, seemed like a solid working man with a passion for his job and she could see that there was potential in him for taking the friendship even deeper some day. Even if that never happened she would be happy with him as a friend. 

“So the kids go on summer vacation next week and I’ll be out of commission starting the week after that.” the teacher informed Joel as they walked back to the parking lot. 

“Remind me again what that is?” it had been a long day. 

“My gut surgery.” 

“I know you got Crohn’s but what is causing the latest bout of recurrence?” 

“Stricturing,” she said simply. “it’s happened before so I need revision surgery. My surgeon says there’s a really tight spot that she wants to open up and it’s not accessible any other way.” 

“Partial bowel obstruction?”

“Have had episodes of it,” Katherine winced. “two days before Christmas I was hospitalized because of a severe attack.” 

“Damn. Do you feel all right now?” he stepped closer to her. 

“Pretty much. I’m just eager for it to be over.” 

“When do you go in?” 

“Not this Monday but the next Monday. All the kids will be done on Friday and I’ll be free as a bird. Anyway it’s no picnic, what I’m about to go through again. I’ll cope.” 

“Right.” Joel had never had a surgery even though he knew exactly what went on. “Can I walk you to your car?” 

“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” she teased him gently. Joel opened up the door for her as Katherine hesitated at first. 

“Something on your mind?” he prompted her. “Want to see me again soon?” a little smile played on his lips as he gently teased his new friend. 

“No, just deciding on what I want to say. I tend to overthink things. Anyway if you want to see me and have a free evening, just text and ask,” Katherine slid in behind the wheel, pulling out her car keys. “I spend some nights at the studio.” 

“Oh, congrats on winning that national jingle spot,” Joel remembered. “I’ll text you.” 

Katherine put her hand on top of his for a brief moment, sending little tingles of electricity through him at the contact. “Thanks for the great day.” 

“Thank you. Sleep well tonight.” he didn’t know why he added that last part in but he didn’t care. Katherine smiled at him, starting the car and leaving the parking lot. That fluttery feeling came back to him; a little surge of red dusted his cheeks and he whistled on his way back to the fire engine to see Ben and Charlie looking at him with wide teasing smiles on their faces. “What?”

“Wow, so when’s the wedding?” Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow. Ben was smirking widely, not bothering to quell Charlie’s high spirits. 

“What?”

“You are totally gaga for her and she likes you too!” Charlie looked like he found the pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow. Something new to tease Joel about! Ben looked more sanguine as he folded his arms but his eyes were still mirthful. 

“Come on, time to take the trucks home.” he pulled out the ambulance key. 

Later on that night, Joel and Katherine both went to bed dreaming of each other. 

**

The last day of school came and by mid day Katherine was as wound up as any of her students. She managed to keep the professional exterior but by the time 1 PM came around she felt it would not be wise to keep the kids shackled to their desks any longer. 

“Firefighter Joel is going to help me corral you kids and your wild energy,” the teacher announced. “we are heading down to the cafeteria and you are going to let some energy go by joining me in a singalong!” the kids exploded into the hallway and dashed down into the cafe. Joel was there, beaming wildly as the piano was moved into the cafe for Katherine to play on. She opened up the bench, pulled out the sheet music and set it up. “You need to teach Joel the words, all right?”

A rousing chorus of “yeses,” and “no problems,” greeted their ears. Joel grinned, putting one arm on top of the upright piano while Katherine stretched her fingers and began to play. A few rounds of the song quickly taught him the words and he began to sing along with them. A photographer from the district newspaper sneaked in and took a picture of the scene happily. 

Four songs later Joel took up his chair and began reading books to the kids while Katherine played softly in the background to get them to wind down a little bit. Joel had dragged mats in for them to sit on and eventually crash if they felt like they wanted to. 

It hardly took any time at all for the kindergarten crowd to crash out; Joel had barely reached the end of the second book when there wasn’t an open eye anywhere to be seen. The firefighter looked over at Katherine who was playing a sad sounding tune on the piano.

“What’s that song?” he got up and walked over to her. 

“It’s called Save Me by Queen. It’s about a guy who watches his marriage fail and get divorced. I identify with it but not in the way you might think.” 

“How’s that?” the firefighter watched Katherine’s long fingers darting back and forth on the keys; her nails making sharp little clicking sounds on the hard plastic. 

“Well, I’ve been dreading the surgery on Monday and imagining myself as a person who needs to be saved. It’s wrong; I’m a strong person, but, I don’t know..” she shut her eyes briefly, looking alone and defeated for a second. 

“Sometimes you wish you could give up and let someone else do the hard work.” Joel understood her mindset, having seen it in a broad spectrum of patients he’d treated. Even now he’d felt like she did on some occasions. 

“You’re a mind reader now?” Katherine closed the piano keys and stood up. 

“No; I don’t presume to know what’s going on in your head,” Joel steered her towards the door, casting a furtive glance at the kids on the mats. “I have a question for you.” 

“Shoot,” Katherine walked outside the doors as the buses started lining up. 

“How are you getting to the hospital on Monday?” 

“I’m taking a cab in, why?”

“Would it be out of line if I volunteered to haul you in?” 

“Why would that be out of line? You are my friend and I’d be glad. Now I should ask you something.” 

“What?”

“Want to look in on my cat while I’m away? He’s really easy to look after and he’s friendly.” 

“I love cats! When can you introduce us?” Katherine giggled. 

“Anytime. Sunday afternoon will be off limits. Bowel surgery requires the great purge to start.” 

“I’m on today so how about tomorrow night?” Joel thought Katherine looked even prettier than usual that day, maybe it was because school was ending. The teacher wore a simple pair of grass green pants, boots, white collared shirt and a pastel pink blazer. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as the wind blew gently around them. 

“Sounds good to me.” she agreed. 

“Great!”

“How long are your shifts?”

“About 24 hours. I’m 12 hours in my shift right now. At least I can get out and about.” the firefighter stood next to Katherine which made her heart speed up a little bit and her palms went clammy. 

“Good for you. The bell will ring any second so we’d better get back inside.” 

All the school buses lined up, the warning bell rang and all the students started gathering their things together. The kindergarten crowd got their things with Joel and Katherine assisting them, they found their buses and went home. 

“Party in the faculty lounge!” the assistant principal called. “Joel, you want in?” 

“No thanks, I’m on shift, gotta get right back.” he bowed out and left the school, reminding Katherine he’d be by to see her soon. 

“I look forward to it,” the teacher smiled, gathering her things in a canvas bag. Katherine watched Joel drive off in his car, a sporty SUV in white, then walked out to her car. Once she had stowed her things in the back, she put her head in her hands for a long moment. “my god, I’m definitely crushing on Joel now! I thought I was done this schoolgirl crap!” Katherine dug in her purse, pulled out her keys and inserted them into the ignition stalk. “If I have to have a crush on someone I’m glad it’s him.” pulling out of the parking lot, she signaled for a left turn and went on home.  
**

The remaining 12 hours of the shift for Joel started out innocuous enough with a dumpster fire, then it escalated from a 2 car accident to a six car accident, several wood stove fires and two shed fires. Each incident took at least an hour and a half to tend to; he had several people to stabilize and make ready for transport. At the tail end of his shift Joel got a call for an overdose. 

With a weary sigh he went over to the home, gave the required dose of narcan and waited for a rousing of the drug induced stupor. The person he treated refused a ride into the hospital and get further checked out so Joel shrugged it off and went back to the firehouse. 

Throwing himself on the couch face first, Joel was about to doze off when he was interrupted by a text message. Holding up his phone he opened up one eye to see that it was from Katherine, asking him if he was coming over tonight. “Oh shit, her cat!” he texted her yes then asked where she lived. The reply came quickly; it was only a block or two away from the firehouse. Grinning, Joel pulled on his light windbreaker, happy to see Katherine any time. 

“At least my shift is over now!” the firefighter chucked his overnight bag into his car then walked down to Katherine’s house.


	3. Chapter 3

It took less than five minutes to get to her house. Katherine lived in a modest one story home with a detached garage. Her house was painted a mint color with white trim, her garden beds were brimming with low maintenance plants that were flourishing. 

“Hi,” Katherine was sitting on her stoop, wearing a blue camisole top and a long broomstick skirt in peach. “didn’t take you long.” her hair was held back by a navy bandana though some loose curls were still sitting on her shoulders. 

“I didn’t need a map to come here. You’re less than two blocks away from the firehouse.” 

“Yeah; I just figured you being a man and all might need directions.” she stood up with a laugh as he swatted at her. The teacher ducked aside, giggling at Joel, her daisy earrings swinging with each turn of her head. He stood on the stoop as she opened up the door, walking inside. 

“Nice place you got here,” Katherine had an open concept kitchen and living room done in very light colors to create the illusion of more space. “so where’s the cat?”

“Mick!” Katherine called. A big longhaired cat walked out sedately from the bedroom casually. “Here he is!” 

“Oh he’s big!” the cat sniffed Joel amicably and rubbed on his ankles happily. “He’s friendly; can I pick him up?”

“You better!” at Katherine’s encouragement the firefighter picked up Mick who settled in his arms comfortably, purring happily. “He’s taken to you real quick.” the cat was tabby colored but his weight and sheer presence suggested something more regal. 

“What breed is he?” Joel tickled Mick’s chin. Evidently the cat loved the caress, shoving his chin further out for the firefighter to rub. 

“Mick here is a Maine Coon. Gentle giants. This one likes to sleep with his ass in my face so I hear cat farts all night long.” Joel snorted, laughing, nearly forgetting his long 24 hour shift. 

“You look beat,” the teacher informed him, taking Mick and putting him down. The cat meowed impatiently. “his food is in here along with the litter box in the pantry. Just fill the bowl enough to cover the bottom. Once a day you can give him a treat.” 

“OK,” Joel said a bit foggily. “god what a long shift I had.” he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes which were red rimmed. The lines in his face were deeper than he would like, telling of his bodily fatigue more than he would have liked. 

“You look like you’re about ready to pass out, Joel. Here, lay down on the couch for awhile.” Katherine steered him into the living room where a comfortable couch received him. Gratefully he sank onto the gray fabric, sighing in relief while Katherine watched him carefully. 

“How long before you kick me out?” he asked sleepily. 

“I’m not kicking you out, Joel. What kind of host would I be if I did that? The only thing I need to know is if you’re on duty any time soon.” she bent over him a little bit, taking his glasses off and putting them on the coffee table. Katherine reached over to turn off the lamp on the end table with a loud snap. 

“Nope. 24 hours on, 48 off. Good thing too. This job really puts the strain on me sometimes.” Joel’s eyelids flickered shut.

“I can imagine. It’s almost 9 so I’m going to go change.” 

Joel’s only response was a sleepy noise, feeling so warm and comfortable. His mind floated in a content haze, making his memories of his shift quickly become distant and forgotten. The firefighter hadn’t felt so safe and comfortable for a long time. 

In her bedroom Katherine put on a short summer nightgown with a terrycloth robe. “I would never have believed this if you told me,” she told Mick who wandered into her room. “the guy I have a crush on crashing on my couch. I wish I could kiss him but we’re new friends. Think I’d be breaking some unknown rule?” 

Mick meowed again, asking to be picked up. The teacher picked him up obligingly, walking down the hall to the kitchen. “I already took my sleeping medicine so I’m going to crash out pretty good in a few minutes.” 

“Sleeping medicine?” came a tired voice. Joel had taken off his shoes and had shut his eyes. He could smell lavender as Katherine came over to him. “You smell so good.” 

“Thanks. Mick wants to sleep with you,” she deposited him on the prone firefighter. “I take medicine at night to help me sleep. Chronic insomniac.” 

“Oh.” Joel barely stirred as Katherine spread an afghan over him. Mick clambered onto his shoulder, turning so his butt was in his face. 

“Good night, you.” the teacher picked up a light fleece blanket from the back of the recliner near the picture window. Making herself comfortable in the recliner, she watched the moonlight spill down from the heavens until it surrounded her in the cool glow. Turning towards Joel she closed her eyes. 

The pair slept dreamlessly until Katherine woke up around 8 AM. She had to smile at Joel lying asleep on her couch with Mick still on his shoulder. The teacher did her morning routine, reappeared in bright magenta short shorts and pastel pink tank top with a cropped waist. Joel hadn’t moved from his position on the couch so Katherine perched on the edge of the couch, hoping that he wasn’t sick. 

Her mind was still reeling that her crush was lying on her couch in her home and for her to give him a kiss. A smooch on the lips would be inappropriate but she didn’t think that a little peck on the cheek would be wrong. It spoke of affection but not in a romantic way so Katherine leaned down and pecked him. He didn’t stir until she put her hand on his forehead. 

“Hey,” she greeted him. “you slept for a long time.” 

“What time is it?” Joel’s blue eyes gazed at her blearily. 

“It’s almost ten.” 

“I haven’t slept that late in awhile. That’s all I was doing last night, right?”

“What?” Katherine looked incredulous, standing up. “You were close to falling down with fatigue after your shift! I wasn’t going to let you walk back when you could do a faceplant on the sidewalk!” she giggled. “My concern is for your welfare, buster!” 

“Sure all I was doing was sleeping?” 

“You sure as hell weren’t doing me!” both of them turned a little pink at the mention but ignored it. “You want breakfast or no?” 

“I hope you’re a better cook than Charlie!” Joel moaned good naturedly, putting his glasses on. 

“I am way better! What would you like?” Katherine went into the kitchen, trying to hold back another involuntary blush. If he was so tired he wouldn’t remember having sex would she have taken advantage of him? No, as Joel would not have brought his A game! A giggle escaped her as she opened up the refrigerator door. 

“What’s so funny?” Katherine jumped. Joel was right behind her with Mick in his arms. 

“Oh nothing. So what do you want for breakfast, hmm? I got everything.” 

“I can cook; you don’t need to make anything for me.” 

“No, you still have to tell me what you want so I can show you where to look for it,” Katherine clarified. 

“I’ll just have what you’re having.” he sat at the bar, putting Mick on it. The big cat jumped down and began to eat, his dull crunching sound seemed to infiltrate the entire house. 

“Oh, OK. Remember that I’m starting the purge today and I’m only going on liquids and my medication,” Katherine pulled out a small container of juice and her Monday to Sunday pill box. “last chance.” 

“Good point. How about some eggs?” she whipped them up in under five minutes. Joel was pleased with the result; they were made perfectly, unlike Charlie’s overcooked mess that tasted like rubber. Katherine washed out the pan she’d used, put it away, then topped off Mick’s bowl while the cat languidly stretched and began to scratch on the post near the door. 

“So what time do you want me tomorrow?” he asked, glancing over at the window to see a bird feeder outside and two cardinals fighting. Katherine turned back to him from shutting the cabinet. 

“Well, the surgery’s at 8 and I need to be there at 7. Six thirty?”

“Sounds good. I’m usually up around 6 anyway.” Joel agreed. “Sure you’ll be all right?” 

“Today? I’ll be as all right as I can be under the circumstances. I just want my gut problems solved. Surgery isn’t a forever solution but it’s a hell of a lot better than the alternative.” 

“Very true,” Joel was reluctant to leave which Katherine sensed but really didn’t want him sticking around for the purge. “well, I’m going to worry about you, my friend.” 

“No worries! I mean,” they moved back to the couch so she could sit beside him. “I am worried about how this is going to play out. I know strictures will come back after awhile and shit happens. I had a post op complication last time.”

“What happened?”

“My incision got infected and I was feverish for a time. But that’s not to say that it’s going to happen this time.”

“I admire your optimism.” Joel pulled at a damp curl that hung down in front of Katherine’s face. She smiled as he flicked it back and forth for a moment. 

“I have optimism. I’ll be fine after surgery though it will take awhile, and I know that I’ll find love again someday,” a little thrill shot through Joel at the mention of it. Did she mean that he had a shot with her? “the first hurdle to cross is surgery and recovery.” 

“Absolutely. If I can help you in any way let me know. I’ll be your nurse if you want me to.” 

“I’m so glad I have you as a friend,” Katherine leaned on him then he wrapped an arm around her. “in all honesty I’m nervous and scared about tomorrow but it’s for the best.” 

“Yes it is. I’ll be right here.” someday Katherine would remember his intentions towards her and how he never let her down and then realize that the best guy was right under her nose all along. He was genuinely a good guy and she would see it. Affectionately he leaned down and gave Katherine a kiss on her forehead. 

“Thanks, Joel. Now I need to start the purge.” 

“And I need to go!” he pretended to spring up and run for the door, making Katherine laugh.   
**

The following 12 hours from Joel’s departure Katherine held out the best she could, taking the purge in stride but feeling more and more tired as the day wore on. By the time she could go to bed at 11 that night, she barely remembered to set the alarm. Her bag had been packed: cell phone, charger, pajamas, underthings, socks, toiletries, etc and a big book for her to read when she was feeling well enough. 

Joel was similarly distracted, thinking of what Katherine was about to go through. Ben and Charlie tried to interest him in different projects or a pick up game of basketball, but nothing worked. They had nothing going on that day at all so he could be alone with his thoughts. 

“Come on Joel, what’s going on?” Ben sat down in the recliner next to his friend. “You don’t turn up last night and wait, did you have sex with Katherine and now you’re wondering whether you want to be with her or not?”

“No! Look, the innocent explanation is that Katherine noticed I was beat after my 24 hour shift, she wouldn’t let me walk home all sleepy and insisted I stay on her couch. We didn’t fuck!” 

Ben nodded like a scientist with a new piece of information. “Lucky Charlie isn’t here to hear that one. I believe you.” 

“Thank god someone does. Long story short she’s going in for surgery tomorrow and I’m taking her in. She’s worried about the outcome which is natural and I find myself just wanting to help her more and more.”

“That’s normal, don’t you think? You’ve got the hots for her but you’re doing it the right way. Being a friend first she trusts you. You’re establishing a necessary bond first. Just being there for her speaks volumes.” Ben pointed out to him reasonably. 

“You think?” Joel massaged his neck, feeling the muscles tightening a little bit. 

“What’s wrong with your neck?”

“Her cat slept on me.” 

“If that cat approves than you’re in.” Ben’s wry smile lit up his face. 

“Katherine’s tractor beam pulled me in and the cat finished me off,” Joel snorted. “I’m worried about her recovery already and she hasn’t been cut open yet!” 

“That’s love but it’s also over stressing. How about we take you to the game and get your mind off of it for awhile?” 

“Nah, I’d better get home.” Joel pulled out the keys to his SUV, bade Ben good bye and walked out to the vehicle. Ben left him at it, smirking to himself. He recognized true love when he saw it and it was in every pore of Joel’s body. Katherine had won him over without even realizing it but she would eventually. 

Surgery day arrived before they knew it. Katherine closed and locked her house, waiting for Joel in the SUV when it pulled up beside her car in the driveway. The teacher picked up her duffel bag, smiled at Joel, then got into the vehicle. 

“Hey,” he greeted her. “how are you doing?” 

Katherine shut the door and glanced at him. Joel’s paramedic eyes noted that she was paler than usual and seemed a little dehydrated. “I’ll be glad when this is over. I hate feeling weak.” 

“I bet.” the teacher seemed pretty listless to him so Joel did not bother to engage her in much conversation, giving her plenty of space. Katherine seemed a little agitated and while he didn’t say anything, he reached over and took her hand in a gesture of silent support. 

“I appreciate it,” she rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. “it’s these little gestures that say much more than words could.” 

Joel smiled at her as he drew up to a stoplight. “I agree very much.” 

At the hospital they went down to the ambulatory surgery unit where Katherine was given her ID bracelet, brought into the pre op room, told to change, which she did. Joel came back in after she changed and had to smile. “Hospital regulation johnny I see.” 

“I feel so sexy in it too,” Joel picked up a blanket and spread it over Katherine, telling her to lie down. “what if I don’t want to?” 

“You get snarky when you’re hungry, don’t you?” he shot back laughingly. 

“Maybe. I’m not being a bitch on purpose I swear. Can you hand me my jacket there?” 

“What for?” 

“I’m cold.” 

“I’m not surprised,” Joel took off his fleece lined jacket and sitting behind her, draped it over her shoulders. “here.” 

“Oh, thank you so much,” the phlebotomist arrived to put the IV in accompanied by a trainer. “trainee time, eh? Well, I always did like to be a practice draw for someone. Many people are downright nasty if you don’t poke right the first time. Come on up and don’t be nervous.” 

Impressed, Joel looked at the side of Katherine’s face. He had been a nervous hand at installing IV lines himself until he got confident in it. In an emergency situation it was a very different ball game and he’d get cussed out unless he did it right the first time. Katherine projected the very calm aura with some good humor and to the trainee’s surprise she got it right the first time. 

“Good for you! I’ve had some nurses try to stick me that have been here forever and I was so bruised, all the way up and down my arms,” Katherine told her as she taped the tubing down. “goes to show them, right?” 

“Yeah, I guess so. Thank you so much!” the trainee flushed red, Joel smiled, then the two phlebotomists left with grins on their faces. 

“There you go again,” the firefighter teased. “making everyone comfortable when you’re a wreck inside.” 

“How in the hell did you get psychic powers?”

“I didn’t. I’m just getting more in tune with your moods. You tend to get more boisterous when you’re nervous.” 

“And scared. It’s a terrifying thing to be on an OR table for any reason,” she shivered. “it sucks I have to do this.” 

“Don’t worry,” Joel tried to reassure her. “in a few hours you’ll be in recovery and sleeping it off. And have a really sore throat in the process.” 

Katherine giggled. “Part of the package deal. What really disturbs me is the fact that the anesthesiologist has to really tow the line between life and death if you know what I mean. Too much anesthetic and I’m dead.. it’s a lot to put my life in the hands of someone that I barely know.” 

“You’re giving me more perspective, Katherine.” 

“On what?”

“What it’s like for one of my patients to be under my care. I always thought I had a good understanding of them but you’ve enriched me even more on that front. Gosh, you’re all stiff. Relax!” Joel got her in a front to back hug. “Tell me, do you pray?” 

“Sometimes.” 

“Well, I’ll be praying for you. I’m going to stand by and talk to the surgeon after everything’s done, leave for a few hours and then come back when they’re moving you to a room.” 

“You can go after they take me in. I won’t be conscious at any point. The first night post surgery is always the hardest.” 

“I’ll at least get the lowdown on what went on inside there,” he put a hand on her belly. “then we shall see.” 

“Miss Maguire? Time for your relaxing medication.” a nurse gave her an injection. 

“They must be close to being ready,” Joel remarked. “you won’t be making any sense now.” 

“I don’t know.. this stuff feels great.” he felt her go limp. “I could.. wait, I lost my train of thought..” 

The firefighter was giggling and tried to hide it. “I think that train went into a tunnel and ran away from you.” 

“Oh, you! I think you need to be taught a lesson when I’m well..” 

“Like what?” he couldn’t help but ask. 

“Ugh, can’t think.. You’re a saint, Joel, to put up with me.” Katherine kissed him on the cheek. The nurse said they were ready for her and the firefighter had to reluctantly move. 

“Lay down, hon,” Joel collected his coat, easing her down onto the gurney. “I’ll be looking in on you later.” 

Katherine lay down obediently, taking Joel’s hand. “You’re the best. Love you.” his eyes got a bit watery at the words and the fact she was about to be sedated and completely at the mercy of the surgeon. 

“I love you too.” he watched as the nurse took Katherine away. Joel went out to the waiting room, sat down, then brought out a big book for him to start reading. Before he started to read, he closed his eyes and whispered a prayer for his friend. “I really do love you.” 

“Hey, Katherine!” the colorectal surgeon greeted her patient as the nurses lowered the bars on the gurney. Katherine knew the drill, scooting over so she got onto the OR table. The anesthesiologist began to compute the dosage of Propofol for her while another nurse attached cardiac leads, pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff on. “Ready for me?” 

“As I’ll ever be.” she said wearily, feeling very small and vulnerable under the bright light. 

The surgeon knew what she was thinking. “Are you nervous?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Not to worry; you’re in great hands don’t forget,” the surgeon put on her mask. “you can give her the juice.” 

“OK Katherine, thirty seconds to naptime,” the anesthesiologist started injecting her with the drug. “feeling it?”

“The room is spinning.” the teacher tried to clear her vision as the world around her started to waver in and out of focus. 

“That’s what we want,” the surgeon began to ready her instrument tray. “have a good sleep, Katherine. I’ll be sure to tell Joel that you came through it marvelously.” 

“Joel...” Katherine moaned as her eyelids fluttered shut. The anesthesiologist checked her to make sure she wouldn’t wake up and nodded to the surgeon. 

“It’s go time.” 

“Great. Time for the lovely scrub nurse to put the Foley in and I’ll get cracking.” 

“Right on.” the anesthesiologist taped Katherine’s eyelids down so they wouldn’t dry out. The anesthetic drugs relaxed all muscles so she couldn’t breathe on her own or keep her eyes closed. Her vital signs were strong, her heart was in a regular rate and rhythm which meant Katherine was ready. 

**

Three hours later the colorectal surgeon stapled Katherine’s incision closed. “Nice and tidy strictureplasty, had to open up a few more that would have caused problems and she should be ready to go for another ten years! And now maestro if you would kindly wake her up.” 

“Sure thing,” the anesthesiologist injected medicine to counteract the sedatives, waited several minutes, then checked Katherine’s reflexes. “that’s what I want to see! Let me just take the tube out of her throat and we can bring her to the recovery room.” 

A nurse pulled the shower cap off of Katherine’s head, draped her in a warmed blanket while the anesthesiologist slowly took the tube out of her throat. He put a mask on Katherine’s mouth and nose which dispensed a mist that helped to dissolve the rest of the anesthetics out of her system. The orderly took Katherine out of the operating room and installed her in a space in the post operation recovery unit. Katherine’s new nurse put her on an an EKG and blood pressure monitor, attached a pulse oximeter to one finger and checked her temperature. 

“Numbers are looking really good,” the colorectal surgeon was impressed. “time for me to go talk to her friend there.” 

“Mr. Harrison?” the customer service person called out. 

Joel looked up from the book he was reading. “Yes? Is the doctor ready for me?”

“Yeah. In through there please.” she showed him into a spare consult room. Joel put his hands together nervously, keeping his head down until the surgeon came in. 

“Hi, Dr. Bennett,” she shook hands with him. “how you doing?”

“I’ll be better after what you say,” he said ruefully. “I’m a paramedic and I know things are never what they seem.” 

“Good for you! Do you also firefight?”

“Yes I do,” Joel admitted. “interesting job.” 

Dr. Bennett laughed. “We all chose our jobs based on level of interest I think. Anyway about Katherine.” 

“How’s she doing?” 

“She’s doing great,” he could breathe a sigh of relief now. “Katherine had about three strictures which needed opening up. I took care of all of that; didn’t have to take out any bowel at all which is always a good thing. There’s a core of steel in that girl; she’s been through so much and never shows any signs of slowing down. I’m glad a great guy like you is taking an interest in her.” 

“Me too. I don’t care about her past; it’s the future and I hope I have a place in it.” 

“That’s a good attitude to have. Do you plan to take care of her post operatively?” 

“Yes.” 

“She won’t need a visiting nurse then if you change her dressing every day.” Dr. Bennett stood up.

“If I’m not on shift I’ll be looking in on her. I don’t want to overwhelm her either.” Joel didn’t want to be stifling her in any way. 

“I completely understand. All her reflexes are coming back which means she’s going to be getting a private room in the new wing. Do you want to go and see her?”

“I’ll wait until she gets a room. Does the customer service person know what room she’s going into?”

“Yeah.” 

“Then I’ll grab lunch upstairs then head on up there.” Joel decided, leaving the room. 

“All right. Nice talking to you.” Dr. Bennett gave him a kindly smile and retreated back into the surgery unit. 

Joel went up into the hospital cafe where he whiled away the hour checking text messages, finding a few from Ben and Charlie who both asked about how Katherine was doing. 

“Katherine doing pretty well, will be getting a room soon.” he clicked send then tucked into the lunch he had picked out. 

Gazing through the widow the firefighter he reminded that tomorrow morning he was back on shift but Katherine would be safe in the hospital. It made bizarre sense in a way; the teacher would not be fully awake for a long time yet so he might as well be doing something useful. Joel, in spite of himself, hoped for a busy day so he would not have time to think about Katherine and make himself nuts worrying about her. 

The firefighter slid his phone into his pants pocket and went up to the sixth floor, hoping that they’d moved Katherine to a room by now. 

When he arrived on the floor a few minutes later Joel could see clearly that the floor was one of the newer ones in the hospital. There was a small atrium at the back complete with an electric fireplace and done in tasteful but boring colors. He checked in with the receptionist who said they were getting Katherine settled in and the nurse would come and get him when they were ready. 

‘”OK,” he sat down on the fake leather couch which creaked so ominously he thought it might break at any second. “hope she’ll be coming around soon.” Joel could see the lights of Fletcher Field a block away and imagined that Katherine would have a nice view of a home game that Tuesday night. 

“Good thing I got a gift for her already.” the firefighter had bought Katherine a small teddy bear with a firefighter’s turnout coat and hat on complete with a card. 

“Mr. Harrison? Hi, I’m Brandy, Katherine’s nurse. She’s right this way.” Brandy led the way into the small private room. Katherine was lying supine on the bed, buried in blankets to keep warm. Joel put the bear and card on the night table while the nurse gave her a dose of morphine for post operative pain relief. 

“Katherine?” Joel put the guard rail on the bed down and leaned over to her. She’d been downgraded from the mask to a nasal cannula, the EKG wire leads were off, the blood pressure and oximeter had been stripped off of her and she was very quiet. The fluorescent lights were dimmed down a lot and the darkness was kind to his friend, hiding the paleness that Joel knew Katherine was displaying. 

“Oh my poor girl,” the firefighter felt a great rush of affection for his new friend. Leaning over he kissed her on the cheek, making her eyelids flutter a little bit. “gonna wake up a little bit for me?” 

He was rewarded with sliver of her dark eyes as the lids opened up a tiny bit. “Hey.” his voice was more quiet than normal so he didn’t aggravate Katherine’s delicate state. People waking up from anesthetics were more susceptible to stimuli of all kinds which was why the lights were off. “Can you hear me OK, Katherine?” 

“She’s just had some morphine so she’ll be a little dopey,” Brandy reported. “I gave her some water so she might be able to talk.” 

“Can you give us some time, please?” Joel dismissed the nurse, feeling irritated that she was still there. Brandy huffed like she’d been asked to stand on her head and left the room. “Some people.” 

Katherine grinned. “Bitch.” 

“So you can talk,” the firefighter teased. “I’m gonna go soon and check on Mick. I also need to get some sleep for my shift tomorrow. I’ll come by sometime late Wednesday when all the drugs have run through your system. You’ll be able to chat by then.” 

“True.” the teacher was able to grasp his hand that he offered her. 

“So, I imagine that you’re feeling pretty good and doped up right now. Your lungs are probably collapsed because the anesthetics relax the muscles and ventilators don’t help you take deep breaths. The nurse is probably going to give you a spirometer which will help you re inflate your lungs. Have you had one of them before?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You know what to do then. You can text me any time you want but I’ll be on shift tomorrow so don’t expect a quick response.” 

“It’s OK.” she winced as her throat hurt when she swallowed. 

“Does your wound hurt you?”

“Eh.” 

“I have something that I think will work for you,” Joel pulled an instant cold pack from his pocket, tore the packaging off and activated the instant freezing solution inside. In moments it was very cold as Joel stood up, stripped the blankets off of Katherine’s midsection and found the bandaged incision. “may I?”

“Sure.” she trusted him implicitly and didn’t mind when he put the cold compress over her incision. Cold relief washed through the site, trailing all the way up to her extremities and giving her some relief. Katherine sighed in comfort, giving Joel an expression of gratitude.


	4. Chapter 4

“Works like a charm, doesn’t it?” he draped the blankets back down. “My patients tell me after surgery it’s like the wound itself is on fire and I know too much about fire so cold does the trick.” 

“It does,” Joel sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand again. “I’m very foggy.” the teacher had a rush of mental images in her head, seeing Joel pre operatively, the stark whiteness of the operating room, then nothing but blackness. She’d roused once in the post anesthesia care unit to darkness and the annoying sound of a heart monitor then that was it. Sleep started tugging at her eyelids but she resisted though Joel noticed it at once. 

“Do you remember the morning? Me bringing you in?” he brushed back a strand of hair from her face. 

“Yeah.” 

“There are some parts of the morning that you don’t need to remember,” Joel teased, touching the edge of her face. “right now I’m going to go check on Mick and get home to get some sleep before my shift tomorrow. You stay put, don’t wander off, all right? I’ll be back on Wednesday.” the firefighter kissed Katherine on the cheek. 

“I’ll be good. I swear.” she gave him a little smile; her cheek felt hot where his lips had touched. 

“Good,” Joel pressed his hand to hers for a long moment then put it down. “I’ll be thinking about you tonight.” 

“Thanks, hon,” Katherine closed her eyes. “it’s going to be hard.” 

“You’ll come through it all right,” the firefighter believed in her. “I have to go so this is bye for now.” 

“Bye.” by her breathing rate Joel could tell that she’d fallen asleep again. It would be natural for her to go in and out of consciousness for a day or two as her body clock was all messed up. 

As he pulled out of the parking lot Joel frowned, narrowing his eyes against the setting sun. It was time to head on over to check on the cat and then have a late supper at home. 

It was amazing how much major surgery reduced regular everyday people to a shell of themselves within a span of hours, he mused. Katherine was a quietly confident person with a voice that really reached people and through those drugs and what the surgeon had put her through she was basically inert. 

What else did he expect? Joel asked himself. It was probably the fact that he’d never seen her so vulnerable and it unnerved him. He signaled for a turn and coasted off the highway onto a back road to Katherine’s house.   
**

Pulling back into Katherine’s house the firefighter thought that the place had lost some of its charm while the owner was in the hospital. Joel gazed at the plants, not knowing the names or how to care for them, so he went up the front stairs and pulled out the key. Opening up the deadbolt he walked into the foyer, letting a sweet smell of lavender wash over him. Joel spied Mick sitting on a window sill, the green eyes narrowing against the setting sun. 

“There you are, handsome cat.” Joel stroked the cat who let out a rusty purr of delight. “Ready for some chow?”

The firefighter fed Mick, who thanked him with a meow of delight. While the cat was eating, Joel took a look around Katherine’s house. He peeked into her bedroom which was light and airy like the rest of the house, saw her bulletin board with a desk and laptop, file folders stored in a little cabinet under the desk, then he saw the guest bedroom. There was a twin sized bed that had no bedding on it except a mattress protector, a small bureau in the corner and some shelves. 

“It’s a ladder shelf.” Joel noticed. The room looked sparse and empty. 

In the living room there was a TV on a stand with DVD player and what Joel guessed was a DVR in the back of the cabinet. A piano keyboard stood against the far wall, covered with some iridescent fabric. Katherine’s sheet music was in a holder made out of wrought iron, crammed full with books. Joel crossed to the recliner, peered out the window, then saw the cat tree under the window. 

“You like that, don’t you?” Mick hopped up, stretched out, then nudged Joel’s hand. He rubbed the cat’s head and neck, eventually picking him up altogether. The cat’s tail switched back and forth almost like a dog as a loud open mouthed purr started rumbling like a rusty old motor. “If I wasn’t away so much I’d adopt a cat.” Mick gave him a bump on the chin with his head. 

“I like your mistress very much. I hope I can date her someday,” he stared off in the distance, thinking about the Fireman’s Ball every year and what life would be like with Katherine every day. “I gotta get home and get some sleep. Shift’s from 7 to 7. Full 24 hours turns me into a zombie.” 

Mick yawned so the firefighter put him down. “Night, kitty cat. You should have enough for 24 hours til I get back.” the cat looked affronted that Joel would have the gall to leave but tolerated it in good humor as he knew Joel would be coming back. 

Joel locked up the door and went on home. His house was just eight miles from town but it was out in the country and had a little acreage to it. His property was closed in by the woods which he never minded, preferring to be out walking in the woods anyway. 

The firefighter’s home was a two story saltbox style unlike Katherine’s two bedroom ranch and his taste tended to run towards sports and the outdoors. His bedroom was painted a hunter green, the kitchen done in dark pewter. The living room faced the woods and he had a picture window where the sofa was. Joel made himself a late supper then went straight to bed, exhausted from the day. 

That night, while Joel slept dreamlessly, Katherine was not having an easy time. 

The teacher awakened around 9, had a bad nausea attack and to make matters worse, the Zofran they gave her didn’t work. Katherine became sick to her stomach twice, in even more pain and discomfort, then asked for something more powerful. 

It took awhile to arrive from the inpatient pharmacy and in the meantime, Katherine wanted to curl up on her side but couldn’t do it. The night nurse gave her an ice pack for her wound which helped, but Katherine was sick, confused, and feeling frustrated because she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t even sit up on her own which meant unless the bed was raised she could not get up at all. After the second nausea attack at around 3 in the morning, Katherine turned her head to the side and let a few silent tears escape from her eyes. 

One of the CNAs wanted Katherine to get up and walk around with her but Katherine would have none of it. Still unable to talk very much without pain, she chased off the annoying woman by giving her a furious look. She wanted to throw something but couldn’t find anything. Her stomach roiled and seemed to convulse sharply as another nausea attack assaulted her senses. After she endured another episode of vomiting Katherine collapsed back onto her bed and summoned the nurse. 

“Still not feeling so well, huh?” the middle aged nurse draped a cool hand on his patient’s forehead. “You’ve got a fever starting so I’m going to grab an antipyretic for you. I’m so sorry you’re sick.” 

“Thanks.” Katherine said weakly, closing her eyes. 

The rest of the night was no better. Katherine had several more nausea attacks as it seems all the drugs they gave her just didn’t work. She finally managed to doze off around 5, thinking of Joel to calm her down a little bit. 

At the same time Joel’s eyes opened up, having a very strange feeling that something was wrong with Katherine. He tried to doze off for another hour but that was futile; being an early riser by nature he gave up fairly quickly and got up. Joel showered and dressed, packed his overnight bag for the firehouse, then made breakfast as usual. 

He stood in front of the patio door where he could see the community lake about two miles off his property and hear the ducks squawking up a racket. Sitting outside with his tablet he paged through the local newswire app, checking all the news headlines for something interesting. Not finding anything to his liking, the firefighter got up, washed his dishes and put them away. Picking up his overnight bag he locked up his house, went out to the SUV and started to drive to work.

Still the nagging feeling that something was wrong with Katherine did not leave him at all. Joel knew he was being foolish in the feeling-she was in the hospital with her surgeon looking after her. Stopping at a light he made a conscious effort to dismiss the feeling. 

That day in the hospital Katherine was absolutely right in her prediction that the first day was the hardest. In the late morning she was surprised by a visit from one of Joel’s coworkers at the firehouse, Ben. His tall and lanky figure was sitting down in the visitor’s chair watching her when she opened up her eyes. 

“Hey,” he greeted her happily. “I had to bring in a patient and I thought I’d stop up and see you. How are you doing?” 

“Horrible,” she could talk a little more now that the day nurse had given her something for her sore throat. “just awful.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?” just like Joel he took her hand with one hand then cuffed her shoulder. Must be one of those ways in which all paramedics/firefighters do that to connect with their patients, Katherine supposed. He emitted a strong protecting vibe that made the teacher feel at ease with him. 

“I was sick to my stomach all night long,” Ben’s eyes widened a little bit. “the nurse says I’ve got a low grade fever now so this is new.” 

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” he tried to reassure her. “it’s actually the body’s response to fix itself. Have you ever heard of the immune response?” 

“Yes.” 

“That’s what’s in play here. The low grade fever is better than a high one, obviously. A high one definitely means infection. Your body’s gearing up to heal itself. As for the nausea it might be a reaction to the medicine they’re giving you. Are you taking morphine right now?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Try switching that to something else and see if you feel better.” Ben suggested. 

“I’ll do that,” Katherine winced, putting her hand on the incision. “thanks, Ben.” 

“You’re welcome,” he awkwardly hugged her. “I’ll tell Joel how you’re doing. Shall we say fair?” 

“Oh yes. Ugh, I’m a bit lightheaded.” Katherine grimaced and shut her eyes. 

“Really?” Ben checked her incision which was starting to bleed a little bit. “One of your staples is loose.” he summoned the nurse and a surgical resident to repair the damage. “Katherine?” brushing a hand against her face didn’t rouse her like it should which made Ben worry. “It looks like she fainted here.” the nurse turned Katherine a little bit, drawing back the sheets and blankets. 

“I’m glad you caught that,” the nurse told him as the resident brought in the necessary materials to fix Katherine’s wound. “thanks, Ben. The other nurses speak so highly of you guys.” 

“You’re welcome. I’m sure you guys will want to check her complete blood count-she said she was dizzy.” Ben couldn’t think of how her staple got knocked loose but he wasn’t going to deal with that now. Katherine was getting the attention that she needed and that was the point. 

“Will do.” the resident grinned at Ben as the paramedic left, inwardly grimacing at how one inept doctor and nurse overlooked Katherine’s reaction to the morphine. It wasn’t for everyone and they should not have given it to her but it wouldn’t be given to her anymore. He was sorry she had to go through such a rough night but knew it would get better soon. 

At the same time Joel and Charlie were fighting a shed fire that had gone out of control pretty quickly. With the pedestrians away from the blaze they deployed the hook and ladder and the big hose from the engine, dousing it down well. After the blaze had gone out they trampled around the shed, stomping out any embers that might have fallen and were still smoldering. 

“That was one hell of a fire!” an elderly gentleman congratulated the two firefighters and pressed something into each one of their hands. Charlie looked down and saw a gift card to a local coffee shop. Joel had the same thing which made them smile. One of their favorite things was the elderly characters who always had a story to tell. “Go get yourselves something good with it!” 

“Thank you, sir!” Joel and Charlie smiled, packing up their stuff and heading back to the firehouse. 

The two of them dried out the hose properly, did safety checks on all the equipment and were happy to find Ben sprawled on a recliner taking a nap. He had been called out to a medical event which had turned into a rather complicated scenario and took a long time to resolve. The tallest firefighter had put his glasses on the side table, propped up himself up on the recliner and had his head tilted towards the window. 

“At least we don’t have to explain to him about our lunches.” Charlie sniggered, sitting at the kitchen table and unpacking his bag from the coffee shop. Joel agreed and for the next few minutes only silence was heard throughout the firehouse. 

The two firefighters started doing inventory on their equipment, washing and scrubbing the firehouse to keep it looking good while Ben slept on. Charlie aimed a duster at him, making a few swiping motions then carried on with his chores. 

When all the chores were finished, Charlie plopped on one recliner, grabbing the remote before Joel could do it. He brought up a local community TV channel where they watched the high school teams play football. Joel let his thoughts wander back to Katherine for a brief moment then began to think about a camping trip that he was forming in his mind. An hour north near the town of Bonnevie was a beautiful lake where could take a boat to an island and camp there. Maybe in a month or two when Katherine was well enough he could take her too. 

Ben roused at the sound of the televised audience cheering and opened up his eyes. He rubbed them carefully, yawning and putting his glasses on. “Oh wow, did I sleep.” 

“Look who’s awake,” Joel turned to look at him. “have a hard time with that guy?” 

“That poor guy. He went into full blown shock and had a cardiac event. I don’t know what to make of it but I hope I never see him around again. Domestic violence is his game I think. Anyway the cops will take it from there.” 

“Donut dunkers good for something, eh?” Charlie laughed. 

“Oh, Joel, I went up to see Katherine while I was there,” Ben remembered. “she’s in rough shape.” 

“I can imagine. Nobody looks or feels even remotely good after complicated bowel surgery.” 

“Shut up, Charlie. What did she tell you?” maybe that feeling Joel had been having was valid. 

“Katherine was sick all night. When I was with her she developed a low grade fever, was dizzy and I think she fainted,” Ben was unflinching with the facts. Joel turned a shade pale at the news. “turns out she or someone changing her dressing was inattentive and one of the staples was knocked loose. Katherine was bleeding and I had to get her nurse and surgical resident to fix it.” 

“Fuck!” Charlie and Joel said together. “Did they fix it? Is she all right now?” 

“I had to leave after she fainted, Joel. All I know is she won’t be sending texts anytime soon,” Ben added as he saw Joel check his phone. “right now she’s sick and needs to recover.” 

“Is it the medicine? Did the nausea start after they put her on some painkillers?” Charlie asked, getting up and retrieving his water bottle from the fridge. 

“It did. Zofran didn’t help so I suggested they take her off of the narcotics. Those are notoriously rough on the belly so maybe some naproxen will take the edge off.” 

“That’s probably it,” Joel relaxed visibly. “poor girl.” Charlie noticed that as he capped his bottle and put it aside, smirking. He knew his coworker tended to be a bit sensitive but Charlie was going to try some of his good natured ribbing with Katherine and see where it went. 

“She’ll get better,” Ben said very matter of factly. “this isn’t going to stop her in the least. Katherine’s got a life to live and this is a challenge.” 

“Very true.” just then the alarm sounded. All three firefighters got up and grabbed their turnout gear, ready for anything.   
**

That evening at the hospital Katherine woke up around 6, yawned, then saw her night nurse had come on duty. She barely had time to think when Dr. Bennett breezed into the room, bringing with her a beaming smile and radiant energy. 

“Well, how are you doing?” the blonde doctor asked, putting on her stethoscope and checking Katherine’s heart. “You’re still alive!”

“I wasn’t worried about that!” she retorted. “Someone knocked a staple loose and if it wasn’t for my firefighter slash paramedic buddy visiting me I could have bled out or something!” 

“It wasn’t that bad, Katherine,” Dr. Bennett told her ingratiatingly. “you lost a little bit of blood and your dizziness was caused by that cocktail of meds the hospitalist piled onto you. Someone forgot to run a medication reconciliation check and that’s all. You made the right choice, taking the morphine off of your regimen. I know that was the one that kept making you sick. Have you had any problem now that you’re off of it?” 

“Nope.” 

“Then there you go! I’ll get the nurse to give you a spirometer so you can work on re-inflating your lungs so you can take a deep breath again. You chased a CNA from your room last night and I understand why you did it. That CNA has a reputation for being supremely annoying, but I want you to start walking around so we can get you off the blood thinners, OK?”

“Am I still feverish?” 

“You’re not at the moment. Fevers are pretty common like the low grade one when you’re healing. You might have more bouts with them, I don’t know. Now, I want to check your wound and see how the healing is coming along, OK?”

“Right.” Katherine lay still while Dr. Bennett hiked up the hospital johnny and blankets to reveal a neat row of staples followed by a few sutures. 

“I see no reaction whatsoever. I had to make the incision higher up this time but I know you don’t care about scars as long as you’re healthy.” Dr. Bennett put back the sheets and blankets. 

“I know the drill; as soon as I fart I’m out of here, right?”

Dr. Bennett laughed loudly. “You sure do! Now you get to be my star patient all over again!” 

“Believe me I want to get out of here!” Katherine retorted with a smile. “My buddy Joel won’t be pleased if I have to stay for too long!” 

“Oh, him! Good looking guy you got.” 

“We’re just friends.” 

“Do you see any potential in him?”

“I see a lot of potential but I don’t want to scare him. I gotta give it a few months first.” 

“That’s the best way you know,” Dr. Bennett cuffed her arm affectionately. “see if he sticks by you no matter what happens.” 

“Very true.” Katherine yawned. “When I’m well again I’ll do the same for him.” 

“To sleep with you then! I’ll put you on a soft food diet to try to tickle your guts into working, all right?” 

“Sure.” she closed her eyes. Dr. Bennett gave her a smile and left. 

Katherine slept lightly until about 8 PM that night. Someone leaned into her doorway, speaking her name. “Hey Katherine, it’s me.” a tall man in a scrub shirt and tan pants walked into the room, sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her arm. 

“Hi, Kath,” her eyelids opened up. 

“Dr. Caron!” she exclaimed. “To what do I owe the honor of my GI visiting?” 

“Well I thought it would be a good idea to see you before I knock off for the night. How’s my favorite Crohnie doing? Heard you had a rough time last night.” the doctor was as tall as Ben, had a square face, frizzy brown hair and blue eyes with flecks of brown in them. Katherine privately wondered if he or even Ben ever had proper meals in the day; both were pretty skinny for their height. 

“That’s putting it mildly,” she outlined her problems. “I have some firefighter slash paramedic pals now and one suggested that the narcotics were doing it to me. I cut those out and haven’t had a problem.” 

“Good for you. When’s your next follow up with me?”

“In August.” 

“All right. I’m going on vacation next week and I want you out of here in two days’ time, Kath. You hear?” 

Only he could get away with calling her Kath. “I wanna be out of here tomorrow but unless my bowels kick on I’m stuck here.” 

“It’s the truth,” Dr. Caron agreed. “hey, looks like your firefighter buddies left you something.” 

“Where?” 

“On the table there,” the table had been pushed back so the nurses could get to her IV better. “looks like a bear.” 

“Oh, how cute! I’ll name him Joel.” 

“Nice. Well, I just stopped in to say hi before I leave. Get well, Kath. I’ll see you in about two months.” 

“Have fun and don’t create too much trouble now.” grinning at her Dr. Caron got up, displaying his full six feet four inches tall. The gastroenterologist put his hand over hers for a moment. 

“I could say the same of you.” they said their goodbyes and he left. 

“Best doctor ever,” the teacher muttered. She had come to Dr. Caron after she’d become too old for her pediatric gastroenterologist doctor and he’d never failed in her care. He’d hospitalized her a few times, paid attention and really listened to her problems. Dr. Caron had set her up with Dr. Bennett and she’d established a very good doctor/patient relationship with them both. “he’s never let me down.” one day she hoped she could say the same thing for Joel. Well, he hadn’t let her down so far which was progress. 

Katherine picked up the teddy bear, grinning over the cuteness as the plastic red firefighter helmet and turnout gear which looked pretty accurate. She also noticed the card that had her name written on it in Joel’s unique scrawl. Slitting the envelope she drew out a card which had the words get well soon in fancy script amid a background of flowers. 

“Dear Katherine, I hope that you really do get well soon, love from your friend, Joel.” she smiled and put the card on the table. “Not one for flowery writing is he? I love the thought.” the teacher summoned the CNA (a very nice soft spoken lady), and had her Foley catheter taken out so she could start ambulating in the hallways. 

**

Joel’s 24 hour shift came to an end at 7 AM on Wednesday. He thought of Katherine and going to see her straightaway but his body was tired out. The firefighter clambered down the stairs with his overnight bag in hand, nearly tripping over Charlie. 

“Going to see Katherine?” 

“I’m going to take a nap first.” there was just enough energy in him to go tend to Mick and maybe he could get home and crash out hard. 

“Go and take care of her cat, maybe sleep on her bed and get all cozy, imagine her there with you...” 

“Fuck off, Wanker!” 

“Ohhh, touch a nerve, did I? You want to bang her, don’t you?” 

“All in good time, Wanker.” Joel left the firehouse happily, going to Katherine’s place. Mick meowed for him to come in and at the sound of the door unlocking the big cat rubbed up against the firefighter’s legs. Joel pulled out the food bag, topped him off and stood by, looking out the window into the tiny backyard. 

“What do you say I date and marry your mistress then you come live with me in the country, eh?” he rubbed Mick’s back. “I know it’s early days and all but she has potential.” Joel again thought of plans to take Katherine and canoe out to the lake near Bonnevie and camp on an island for a few days. The more he thought of it the more it sounded like fun. 

The cat finished his food, Joel topped him up again for later then sat on the couch. Mick walked over to the couch, hopped onto it, then nudged Joel with his head expectantly. 

“Oh god I’m exhausted, cat,” Mick didn’t take that for an answer. “how about a rain check, eh?” 

The cat meowed again and was only appeased when Joel stroked his long fur. “I’m getting sleepy there pussy. I need a nap.” the firefighter wasn’t exhausted like last time; he’d managed to get a four hour nap in the firehouse. Another four hours and he’d be raring to go again. Joel didn’t want to drive to his house out of town then have to drive back in even if it was a short distance so he chose to camp out in Katherine’s spare bedroom. He knew she wouldn’t mind; having told him before surgery that he’d be more than welcome to use her house if he was overtired.

Kicking off his shoes and taking off his glasses Joel sprawled on the twin bed, grabbing a pillow from the closet. With Mick at his side Joel turned on his left hand side and closed his eyes. 

*“Katherine, where are you?” Joel called, seeing a twisted car lying upside down on the side of the road. When dispatch called and announced a woman with her description his heart had done a cartwheel in his chest and was pounding madly. He saw a smear of blood on the road but no Katherine. Inwardly he was praying that the blood didn’t belong to his new friend, trying to ignore his mind which was telling him Katherine was in big trouble. 

“Here!” a tinny sounding voice announced. The firefighter knelt down to see that it was indeed Katherine in the accident. His heart fell but he tried to repress how he felt towards her as she was trying to get to him; her face marred by a few bleeding cuts. 

“Are you all right?” Joel grabbed her hand and gently tugged her out as much as he dared. Katherine’s hands were all cut up and smeared with blood but it wasn’t too bad that he could see. 

“That remains to be seen!” she wiggled out of the car window halfway where Joel got a hold of her, turning her so she faced right side up. Katherine was covered in cuts, her shirt was torn up but she seemed all right. Joel’s heartbeat decreased slightly but he was worried about her and the possibility of internal injuries after the crash. 

“Ugh! I’m trapped!” Katherine could not free her lower body from the car. Joel barked for the jaws of life to free her while he started tending to her minor injuries. Ben and Charlie cut off the section of the car, Ben moved her from the wreck before it could fall on her. 

“Where does it hurt the most?” Joel inquired, checking her pulse. 

“My chest.. I think I broke some ribs.” Charlie brought the gurney over to her and she got onto it straightaway. Ben and Charlie hung back while Joel examined Katherine under the bright lights. He had to cut her shirt off-it was in tatters anyway, and ignoring the fact she was wearing a black lacy bra that would have driven him wild ordinarily, Joel flipped his mind into professional mode. 

Katherine was impressed with his calm demeanor and speedy efficiency while working on her. She knew it must had been hard for him to see someone he knew in an accident, nevertheless working on that person. A little blush infused her cheeks with some pink as she realized how odd she must look; lying on a gurney nearly naked from the waist down and wearing a very enticing bra. Her respect for Joel shot up as he swabbed the blood off of her belly and cleavage with a steady hand, never looking twice. 

The paramedic palpated her chest carefully, detecting a few broken ribs, throwing the bloody swabs away. A few cuts oozed a little more blood but he quickly put a square of gauze and surgical tape onto the sites. Katherine let out a muted noise of pain while Joel more gently pressed down to gauge the full extent of her injuries. 

“It’s not too bad, Katherine. I need to run you in to get an x-ray.. Ben, take us away!” he shouted. The ambulance lurched into motion with Charlie swinging on board. 

“So what happened to you?” Charlie got some vital signs from Katherine, shining a light into her eyes.

“I was on my way home from the studio when.. I can’t.. remember...” her voice was becoming faint while Charlie adjusted the monitors, shooting a glance over at Joel who was turned away, picking up a blanket to drape her in. 

“Uh, Joel,” Katherine’s eyes closed and the monitor flashed, indicating her blood oxygen level was starting to go down rapidly. “let me get a chest tube ready!” 

“Shit! Katherine!” his voice rang out. Katherine’s skin turned a pale milky white, her eyes rolled back and closed.. *

“Katherine!” Joel woke up in a cold sweat. Mick looked over at him lazily, licking at his paw. The firefighter raked a hand through his hair and checked the time on the alarm clock while he put his glasses back on. “Just past one. I’m going to go see her now. I’ll bring her home soon, Mick.” he patted the cat, stood up and put his shoes on.


	5. Chapter 5

Katherine woke up at around 12, took an extremely bland lunch, then requested the CNA’s help in getting washed up. It was an interesting process, as the CNA came into the room, Saran wrapped Katherine’s IV site, then had her stand and sealed the surgery incision with a big square of adhesive which was waterproof. The teacher picked up her pajamas, her toiletry bag, then followed the CNA over to the shower. 

It was clumsy going as the IV was in Katherine’s left arm and she had to remember to keep it out of the water as much as she could but in the end she managed to get herself clean. The pajamas of choice were her black bottoms and a light leopard print top. Katherine ambled back to her room with the CNA, trying to remember to walk straight and proud. Her surgical wound made her want to hunch over to not aggravate and pull her staples. 

“All right, great job,” the CNA helped her sit back down on the edge of her bed. “do you need any pain medication?” 

“A fresh ice pack would be ideal,” Katherine smiled. “that manages my pain pretty good.” 

“Aha, the inexpensive way,” the CNA winked. “be right back.” 

“Good.” Katherine brushed her hair, wound it into a French braid then finished drying her limbs. The teacher slipped her feet into her fuzzy fleece socks in bright red, lying back on the bed. Joel the teddy bear smiled at her from the side table, the card standing up to the side. The bear had been joined by a small blue vase full of flowers and a card from Ben, and from Charlie an activity book full of word searches for her to do. She’d also received a get well card from the principal of the school and that was it. Being summertime the kids were not concerned with their teachers at all even if they just had surgery. 

Katherine turned off the TV which was droning on with another Harry Potter movie to watch. With a sigh of relief she leaned down on the bed, turning herself so she was lying supine. Her body wasn’t used to activity while it was trying to heal from surgery so she found herself lowering her eyelids and drifting off into sleep. 

Joel pulled into the parking garage adjacent to the hospital where he made a mental note of the floor that he was on and went into the facility. In the gift shop he meandered for a few minutes, picking out a People magazine and for him he found a magazine all about the history of Stonehaven and several adjacent villages. The firefighter did love history in school so that magazine would be a useful read in case Katherine was away for a test or was sleeping. 

The price was rather steep-a price for convenience, he supposed, then spied a very pretty coffee mug that he knew Katherine would love. In her house she had a hand towel with cardinals on it and on her wall there was a painting of a cardinal perching. The mug was ivory colored with a red rim with a male and female cardinal on either side of it. Joel picked it up and bought it on the spot. The counter person wrapped it up and put it in a little bag for him to take. 

“Thanks,” Joel stifled a yawn so he detoured into the coffee shop and bought a small coffee. “actually decent hospital coffee, who knew?” he preferred it black, black as his heart was, Charlie often joked. 

The thought of seeing Katherine again washed away any lingering fatigue he may have had from his shift (though the coffee helped too), and he found the elevator bank against the far wall of the hall. Arriving at the appropriate floor Joel bade hello to the unit receptionist and asked after Katherine. Once he was in the right direction he found the room, gave a brief knock then ventured in. 

“Katherine?” he asked hesitantly, peering over at her, putting his package on the little table. “I see Charlie tried to one up us. Ben always believed in flowers saying it best.” sitting down in the vinyl chair Joel put down the guard rail and leaned in closer to his friend. 

“Hey, Katherine,” he took her hands in his, his face just three inches away from hers. “I heard you had a hard time yesterday.” the firefighter took one hand and gently ran his fingers down the side of her face. 

Katherine stirred a little bit then her eyes opened. She looked at Joel and a smiled, blinking away the fuzziness in her eyes. “Hi.” 

“Hey. You sound better already.” the firefighter’s pleased eyes examined her face closely. She had a touch of her normal color back and thankfully that fever had been taken care of by the drugs. 

“My throat’s feeling better.” 

“How about the rest of you? I heard you were pretty sick.” 

“They put me on morphine the first night which was a bad idea. I was sick to my stomach a lot and it was sheer misery for me. I toughed it through the night and they just kept throwing medicine at me.” 

“Really? They’d usually do a process of elimination.” surprised, Joel looked at her in disbelief. 

“Well, there’s a story behind that. First off Ben came to see me yesterday and found out about my reaction, suggested that they remove the morphine from my regimen and see what happened. I remember that I told him I felt dizzy or lightheaded.. then the rest of the day is a blank.” 

“Oh, I see. Ben told me he saw you, the morphine bit, then mentioned that one of your staples was knocked loose and you bled a little bit. The surgical resident came to fix you and as they were starting to prep you for the wound revision you passed out cold. I can’t say that didn’t concern me some but I don’t know the whole story.” 

“Well, Dr. Bennett came to see me last night and told me the hospitalist didn’t run one of those medication reconciliation checks to make sure the meds didn’t interact. She busted the guy’s nut over it and I haven’t had a problem since.” 

“Really? I can’t imagine how lousy you must have felt.” 

“Ugh, you have no idea how much pain I was in and having to puke with a slash in my belly? Not fun! I was in tears the whole time.” Katherine’s eyes seemed to get darker while reliving the memory for a brief moment. Joel squeezed her hand, reminding her that he was there now. 

“Damn. How do you feel now?” 

“So much better. All I’m using for pain control now is an ice pack. Simple, cheap, worth it.” Katherine wasn’t underneath the covers so he could see the neon blue ice pack resting just above her waist. 

“I see. You know, most people would cling to the narcotics and whine about their pain.” 

“I’m not most people and I hate narcotics,” Katherine tried to draw herself up but failed. “OK, not quite there yet.” she giggled, relaxing back with a little sigh, shutting her eyes in comfort. 

“Glad to see you smiling. I think you’ll like what I got you.” Joel had almost forgotten the gift so he handed her the little bag. 

“You’re so good to me, Joel. Oh, how lovely!” Katherine exclaimed over the mug. “I love cardinals. Do you know the legend of cardinals?” 

“I don’t.” 

“Well, legend has it that when a cardinal visits my bird feeder it’s the spirit of a loved one coming back in that form to look after you. Did I tell you that my parents were killed in a car accident?” 

“No, I’m so sorry.” 

“It happened when I was barely 18 years old. They were going away on a vacation when a drunk driver ran them off the road and into a telephone pole.” 

“Oh no,” Joel empathized. “do you mind if I ask how old you are?” 

“I’m 30 years old. How about you?”

“Same actually. What month were you born in?” 

“May 13th. 

“Oh, I was born October 21st.” 

“Great. So what’s your family like?” 

“I have two sisters, Josie who is 34 and Dawn who is 29. Both of them are married; Josie has a little sprout about 7 months old. They always harass me about getting married and all that horse shit but I like my life.” 

“I hear that!” Katherine laughed. “There’s no pressure for me of course but I always thought long term girlfriend suits me much better.” 

They were close to the subject of her divorce but Joel did not want to dampen her spirits or have old memories come back. “Did you know there’s a rec group in the month of July starting up soon? I just love the kids.” 

“I don’t really love the kids that much. My true passion is singing,” Katherine made a face. “pets are less demanding. Are you involved with the kids in any way?”

“In a way. I love history so I’ll be leading them on tours when they come and visit a historical landmark each Friday.”

“You like history? I do too! Well, I’m more of the English monarchy from Henry VIII up until now.” 

“Nice. Am I keeping you up?” her eyelids were sagging again. 

“I want to say no but my eyes won’t let me.” she admitted. Joel checked his watch. 

“Well, how about you rest your eyes while I read my magazine?” he suggested. 

“Sit up here with me; I want to see what you’re looking at. I like American history just as much as you.” 

“You want me to do that?” jostling her around would not be a good idea. Katherine moved over so that Joel could sit on the bed too. He put a friendly arm around her shoulders as he showed her the magazine. “Well, a history magazine too. What should we read from today?” 

“Oh, the battlefield of Gettysburg, let’s check that one out.” Katherine’s eyes grew round with interest as they discussed the battle in detail. 

Joel noticed after a few minutes that Katherine’s merry chatter was starting to peter out. He turned a page, seeing a colorful collage of pictures, then turned his head to see that Katherine’s eyes were closed, her head was leaning on his chest. Affectionately he kissed her cheek while a red flush infused his cheeks for a moment. The firefighter ignored his romantic feelings towards Katherine and just lived in the moment, basking in her presence. 

“I’ll stand by you no matter what,” he vowed. “I’m just glad you’re all right.” 

“I’ll do the same for you,” she had been dozing but Katherine roused on hearing him speak. The teacher leaned up and kissed Joel on the cheek. “I’m touched.” 

“Same. Go back to sleep now.” 

“Yes sir.” she sighed in contentment. 

Katherine was out flat in no time at all. The firefighter was a bit surprised to find out that he felt protective while she was lying asleep. He rubbed her upper arm a little bit, pressing his cheek to the top of her forehead, imagining that they were in a bed together or better yet in a tent. Joel had to stop and remind himself that he was leaping ahead in his mind. He knew what he wanted from her but he had to stop and lay the groundwork carefully that was conducive to a relationship. 

Besides, who was to say that she wanted the same thing from him? Questions about her divorce floated in his mind, questions that he didn’t think he had any right to ask. Unless Katherine brought it up he wouldn’t ask because he was a gentleman, Joel resolved.   
**

For the next two days Katherine was in the hospital Joel visited as much as he could, even bringing one of his favorite history books so they could discuss it together. She got him interested in the English monarchy, telling him all about Henry VIII and the six wives. Thursday they engaged in a lively debate about Catholicism and Protestantism, much like Henry and Catherine Parr got into, then on Friday Joel had to go on shift. 

Also on Friday Katherine demonstrated full return of bowel function which made her surgeon pleased enough to discharge her. She texted Joel, asking if it was possible for him to take her home. 

He texted back: I can take an hour and bring you home if you want. Got a little time before training. The days are usually a bit slow. When u out?

In 10 mins, she texted. A reply assured her that he would pick her up at the front entrance. Katherine packed up her room, thanked the nurses for their help, then packed the backpack she had brought full of her clothes, the teddy bear, activity book, the pretty new mug and picked up the flower bouquet Ben had given her. She put her pack in her lap, holding the flower vase tightly, getting into the wheelchair as the escort brought her down to the main lobby. 

“Your chariot awaits!” Joel was standing by, opening the door of the SUV for her. He took her backpack, put it in the backseat and took Katherine’s hand, guiding her into the Ford Explorer. She called a thank you to the escort, stepped up into the Ford and settled back against the leather seat. The firefighter even fastened her seat belt for her. 

“I’m spoiled right now. If my husband had been this thoughtful we’d still have been together.” that slipped out before she could stop it. 

Joel started up the Ford and carelessly asked, “If you don’t mind me asking what happened between you two?” 

Katherine sighed. “If you must know it was abuse. Mostly verbal. It was partially my fault for enduring so much before calling it quits. He had me so beaten down I developed severe depression as a result of it. The turning point came when he raised a hand to me.” 

The firefighter nearly drove off the road. “What did you do?” 

“I saw the light. My ex husband’s name was Arthur Thorndike.” 

“Never heard of him.” 

“He’s a hotel manager down east somewhere. I found out he’d had a string of affairs, his arrogance and verbally abusing me did such damage you have no idea. It was a long time before I could trust a man again.” one of her hands touched a small white line on the inside of her left wrist as memories of forgotten pain threatened to surface. Joel did not fail to notice it but he wasn’t about to ask. 

“How long have you two been divorced?” 

“A little more than a year now. I thank god every day that I saw the light and left him when I did. There was one thing that he wanted and hated the fact that I couldn’t give him it.” 

“Let me guess, kids?” Joel looked at her for a moment. He wanted kids too but in the right circumstances. 

“You got it. I didn’t believe they’d fix our problems like he said and wouldn’t let him touch me. Now I hear he’s knocked up two of his girlfriends and is in a big old custody battle. As long as the alimony checks keep coming I wash my hands of that ratbag.” 

“Good for you.” 

“Thanks I guess.” they arrived back at her house in no time. Joel watched her carefully getting down from the Ford, her backpack in one hand, key in the other. 

“Welcome home!” Mick purred a hello as Katherine put Ben’s flowers on the kitchen island. 

“Aw, thanks.” she couldn’t bend over to pick up the cat yet so Joel picked up Mick and deposited him in her arms. He had thoughtfully moved the cat food and dish up so she would not have to bend at all. Mick licked his owner’s hand in welcome. “Oh my precious furbaby! I missed you.” she kissed his furry cat head. 

“I hope you don’t mind but I took a nap in your spare room on Wednesday. I was too wiped out to drive to my place and sleep and I really wanted to see you.” 

“That’s all right. You have full use of the spare bedroom whenever you want. I don’t mind. I just don’t want you driving tired, that’s all.” Katherine accepted her backpack from him, pulled out all her dirty clothes then piled them into her front loading washing machine. Joel put the detergent bottle on top of the machine so she didn’t have to lift it. Katherine smiled her thanks as she put in the measured dose, pushed the little drawer closed and set the machine to the proper wash cycle. 

“I’m happy you’re home and safe. I need to get back to the firehouse but call me if you need anything, all right? Make sure you don’t drive if you’re on narcotics. Are you on them?” 

“No I’m not. I hate those damn things. Anyway my fridge is full so I don’t need to go out for at least a week or so. You have been such a great friend, Joel. How can I thank you?” 

“Well,” Joel pretended to think about that. “you and me at the Fireman’s Ball that’s in October, what do you say?” 

“All right.” 

“Really?”

“Sure. No harm in it. Anyway, I have to lie down,” what little color she had regained in the hospital was starting to fade a little bit. “gotta build up my stamina again.” 

“OK. I’ll check on you in a day or two, see how you’re getting on.” Joel gazed at her affectionately as she giggled. Katherine enjoyed the look of affection he had but she had to admit it made her a little uneasy as well. 

“One day you must take me to your house. I’d like to see it.” 

“Sure! It’s a two story saltbox style near a community lake-the lake’s called something bizarre and I can’t remember the name at all. We just call it CL.” 

“Good,” Katherine lay down on her bed, kicking off her clogs. Joel put her backpack down on the floor while Mick sat down beside his owner, looking like a very happy cat. “I dreamed of being home each night I was away.” Joel had an urge to go over there and kiss her which he did, but it was on the cheek not the lips like he wanted. 

She returned the gesture. “Thanks so much.” 

“You’re welcome. I’ll come over in a few days.” he promised, giving Mick a little stroke. 

“I’ll be here.” 

**

Two days later around suppertime Joel was leaving the firehouse, stowing a first aid kit in his car, ready to go and see Katherine. She had texted him a few times each day, telling him that she had been doing pretty well until that day. The teacher reported that she felt a little feverish and low energy which made him suspect that she had an infection. 

“Katherine?” he knocked on the door then let himself in. “Something is definitely wrong if you don’t greet me at the door.” 

Mick came to greet him instead. The cat was all agitated, meowing frantically and leading Joel to the bedroom with his first aid kit in hand. Katherine was lying on her bed, cheeks looking a little flushed, dressed in regular track pants and old ratty t-shirt. The firefighter could think of calls he’d been on as a paramedic and ignored a few vivid memories that tried to surface. 

“Hey, Katherine,” the firefighter could tell right away that she wasn’t feeling right even if she hadn’t texted him. “so what’s wrong with you?” 

“I’m all hot,” she complained, lifting up her shirt enough so her incision bandage was uncovered. “I think I’m infected.” 

“Did you change the bandage like they showed you or do you have a wound care nurse?” 

“Yes but I haven’t seen one.” 

“Visiting nurses are always understaffed. Thank god you have me, huh?” Joel smiled at her as he opened the kit, donned gloves, then removed the bandage from her wound. “Yeah, we’ve got some pus in here. I’ll drain it away.” he brought out paper towels from the kitchen, a small circular basin from his kit, then got Katherine to turn on her side so the pus ran from her wound directly into the basin. Joel pressed down on the incision to make sure it was all cleared out. When he was satisfied the pus was all gone, he had Katherine lie flat again. 

“Let me just get rid of this gunk,” he threw out the basin and used paper towels. “I’m just going to put a little Vaseline on the edges of your wound so it will heal better. If your wound care nurse doesn’t show up by this time tomorrow I want you to let me know, all right? If I can’t come I’ll send Ben or Charlie.” 

“OK cool.” Katherine watched Joel’s technique, quick and deft with precision movements. “I hope you don’t have to work on me again!” 

He glanced at her with a smile, taping down the dressing. “I hope so too! Now, take some acetaminophen and that’ll make your fever go away.” 

“All right. You know, in the almost two months we’ve known each other I’m already indebted to you.” 

“Think nothing about it. This is what friendship is all about.” he snapped the locks on the first aid kit while she took medicine. 

“I think I can detect a little more than friendship in you and to some degree me,” Katherine drowsily said. Joel was inclined to write off what she said but she was right. “it goes both ways.” 

“You know you may be right.” Joel stood over Katherine, pulling a blanket up over her shoulders. The teacher let out a contented sigh followed by a little sleepy noise when he kissed her cheek. 

“Can’t stay awake most days, can you?” he teased. 

“Does seem that way, doesn’t it?” Katherine chuckled as Mick put his paws on the side of her head and looked up at Joel, clearly expecting a handout. “Come on, cat! Don’t mock your sick mistress so cruelly.” 

“He is a little devil,” the firefighter stroked the big head. Mick purred and switched his tail back and forth. “you cutie!” 

“Did you just get off shift, Joel?” 

“Yeah. It was interesting; out of towners apparently don’t know what rumble strips are and T boned a truck. We spent about four hours on that scene alone stabilizing people. Fortunately no casualties this time.” 

“Good, I like to hear that. If you’re exhausted go ahead and use my guest room if you’d like.” 

“I think I might just take you up on that. You really don’t mind?”

“Not at all. You’ll have to make the bed if you want to use it though; I can’t bend just yet. Hell, I can barely get out of bed.” 

“How do you do it?” 

Katherine laughed. “I have to edge myself over to the side and kind of slither out! I try not to use my abdominal muscles but I don’t have anything I could sleep propped up on.” 

“We’ll think of something,” Joel’s eyelids sagged down. “I’m gonna grab my bag from the car and I’ll be right back.” 

“Stay as long as you like,” she kindly told him, her hand on his shoulder. “you do hard work and you need a good long sleep.” 

So much understanding from one woman, he thought. One in a million. His heart overflowing with affection for his friend he smiled down at her, then left to get his things in the Explorer. When he returned he could see from the hallway that Katherine was sleeping soundly. Mick was sitting firmly on her chest, going up and down slowly as she breathed. There was a distinct possessive air about the cat, seemingly declaring that Katherine was his territory and challenging the firefighter on that. Chuckling to himself he walked past the open door and continued on into the guest room. 

A light blue sheet set had been laid on the bureau for him to use if he wanted so Joel put the bed together, changed into an old t-shirt and ratty pajama pants then got into bed. 

**

Mick woke up from his catnap a few hours later and meowed into his mistress’s ear, wanting his supper. Katherine roused slowly at first, trying to make the cat mad and succeeded. The cat responded to his sluggish mistress by ramming all claws into her thigh, making her grunt in pain. 

“You play dirty,” she glared at the feline who stretched. “you adopted me just to torment me I know it.” he stared back at her placidly. Katherine put on her old purple cotton bathrobe over her pajama pants and t-shirt, walking out to the kitchen and feeding her pet. “Now leave me alone you little butthead.” 

Katherine opened up the refrigerator, had a little supper herself, then thought she should check on Joel. Putting away her dirty cup and plate in the dishwasher the teacher shut the windows as the breeze kicked up, indicating they might get a storm. “A storm would be nice.” thunder was nice and loud but she liked the dazzling lightning bolts that split the sky and seemingly light up the night like a big firecracker. 

“Let me go check on our house guest,” the teacher tickled the cat behind his ears as he jumped up onto the cat tree near the entrance hall. “behave yourself.” 

Katherine paused outside the entranceway to the spare room. Joel had made the place like home, making the bed and now was burrowed into it. The June night had turned a little chilly so she pulled out a fluffy down comforter and spread it over him. Wind rattled the window a little bit so she hurried over and shut it before it could wake Joel up. 

The firefighter still had lines of fatigue on his face but he was locked in a deep and dreamless sleep, far away from the worries and cares of every day life. Everyone alive had that wonderful feeling, to be able to shed their worries, to take a respite from the day’s hustle and bustle, to just sink into the welcoming embrace of healing sleep. Katherine went over to the edge of the bed, drawing one corner of the comforter down so that Joel was completely covered and warm. 

One of his hands peeked out so she picked it up, studying it for a long moment. They had long fingers and were very rugged, calloused, yet still gentle by the way he had touched her. When he put a hand on hers Katherine felt very happy, cared for, and like she mattered to someone. Her ex husband had never really touched her outside the bedroom area so she didn’t know what it was like to just have someone clasp her hand in friendship. 

Joel’s hand twitched as Katherine put hers over his. There was something about Joel that stirred up her mind, made her think about him constantly and daydream little scenarios with both of them. She knew it was a crush but maybe there was more to it than that. He looked at her in a way no man did for a long time. Hopefully he felt the same way so a crush wouldn’t be one sided. There was no greater feeling of depression or even shame when a crush didn’t reciprocate the same feelings.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Thunder rumbled in the distance, alerting Katherine back to reality. Impulsively she kissed the back of Joel’s hand then his cheek, mumbling, “Sweet dreams.” into his ear then she left the room. 

“Well look at that,” the teacher stood in the living room looking out the big picture window to see the sky was completely black. “I do think it might be an early night there, Mick.” 

The cat jumped up on the piano keyboard as she snapped it on, dialing down the sound so she wouldn’t disturb her house guest. “Off with you now.” Katherine dumped him on the carpet. She would play the piano until the lighting got too close and she would have to unplug it for safety’s sake. Shuffling through her sheet music she found the Maple Leaf rag and began to play the upbeat tune. 

About thirty seconds later she had overestimated the complicated tune and the fact that she had surgery recently so it wasn’t long before the music confused her so she stopped playing. “That doesn’t work with the atmosphere.” a low menacing growl of thunder sounded in the distance. “Well...” a slow and melodic beat came to her mind. Katherine opened up her eyes, watching the distant clouds roll in. She began to count the beats to the tune in her head and put her hands to the keys almost involuntarily. 

“That’s it.” Mick watched his mistress as she pulled out the sheet music and began to play. The cat twitched his tail and his eyes grew bigger at each clap of thunder that grew nearer and nearer but he stoically remained by his owner’s side, knowing she would protect him. Impishly he batted at a nearby piano key until she ruffled his head playfully. 

A few minutes later Joel woke up groggily from his nap to hear thunder, a rhythmic sound then realized that Katherine was playing the piano. A brilliant white light split the sky, making Joel blink. The music seemed to be dark and dreary and he knew he had heard it before; he just didn’t know when or where. Piano music seemed to be fitting for the atmosphere, he thought, turning his head to see outside the window was completely pitch black. 

The firefighter was so comfortable and sleepy he didn’t move from the bed, listening to Katherine play for about fifteen minutes. When the thunder started to recede he began to fall back asleep again. 

*It didn’t occur to him that the piano had stopped being played. In a flash of lightning he could see that Katherine had walked down the hallway to shut the linen closet with the cat tagging along like a dog. The teacher stood out in the darkness with her light colored robe on, looking almost ghost like in the dark atmosphere, seemingly almost ethereal in a way. 

“Katherine?” Joel asked hesitantly, wondering if she was a figment of his imagination. Mick jumped up on him with a little meow, startling him. 

She appeared at his doorway with an air of what he would definitely call alluring. “I thought you were asleep, Joel.” 

“I woke up,” she walked to his bedside. “you play so well.” 

“I didn’t mean for you to hear that; sorry if it woke you.” 

“No, it’s OK. I think we both...” she sat down on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair back. In a flash of the receding lightning he could see her leaning over him and he was overwhelmed by the urge to just kiss her on the lips and get it over with. 

“Both what?” she teased happily. “You’d better sit up before you do anything.” 

“Right.” Joel sat up and hesitantly ran his thumb over her lips. Her perfect, smooth pink lips that he had been dying to kiss since day one. Fantasies flashed across the firefighter’s mind before he knew it, each one very indecent. Katherine smiled at him; a playful look in her eyes encouraged him to lose himself and just do what his instincts told him. 

So he did. Joel raised himself up to close the distance between the two of them, his lips sealing down on hers, closing his eyes to lose himself in the experience completely. Katherine was a bit surprised to say the least but she closed her eyes and let him kiss her. She kissed back happily, running her tongue across his lips to ask for entry. When he opened up the two of them engaged in probing each other’s mouths, drawing apart for a moment to catch their breath. 

“Wow,” Joel breathed, giving Katherine a shy glance. “I never thought I’d get to do that with you.” 

The teacher laughed, putting one hand on his broad shoulder. The mild scent of lavender drifted up from her hand to his nose while Joel’s eyes wandered to her chest, barely visible underneath the folds of her robe. “What took you so long?” 

“I didn’t want to turn you off me by acting too impulsively.” 

“Do I look turned off? Now I think all this time could be better spent making out. You?” 

“Oh yes.” Katherine leaned in, sealing her lips over his while he brought up one hand to cup her face. The two of them spent several long minutes deep kissing each other then Joel wanted to take it further so he drew her back on the bed with him, sliding one hand into the shoulder of her robe and drawing it back while Katherine made aroused noises, her hands sliding over his broad chest going down..*

The firefighter woke up with a start, gasping for breath. He had to take a minute to remember where he was, seeing the sparsely furnished room and the cat lying next to him. Oh right, Katherine had been a little sick earlier, he remembered, then she had offered him use of her spare bedroom if he felt tired. 

“What’s going on, Joel?” Katherine inquired from the doorway. “I heard you moaning a little bit. Are you OK?” 

“I had a dream.. Last time I slept here I had a dream too.” catching his breath he saw Katherine in her cotton bathrobe that fully covered her up. As she turned to face him a little better he could see her bare shoulder which set his imagination on fire all over again. 

“Imagine that.” Mick walked over to Katherine, giving a little meow, winding himself around her ankles. Katherine leaned down and gave him a little scratch but she wasn’t going to give him a treat for being cute. Frustrated, Mick sat in the doorway with his tail twitching. 

“I’d rather not.” she came closer to him and Joel realized that Katherine wasn’t wearing a pajama top or anything. Grateful for the low light he blushed hard, thinking of how far he got with her in the dream. It could be a long time before that could happen in real life, he thought wistfully. Those perfect, smooth lips and hands, that intoxicating lavender smell.. 

“Must have been some dream,” the teacher sympathized. “really.” 

“It was. What are you doing up?” 

“Well, I couldn’t get back to sleep after the storm came in. I took a sleeping pill 45 minutes ago and I have to wait for it to work so I played the piano for a little bit.” 

“That’s where the music came from. What was it, Beethoven?”

“Very good. A little Moonlight Sonata for a dark and creepy atmosphere.” a wave of fatigue hit her and she shut her eyes for a moment, trying to remember to stay upright and not collapse in the hallway. Joel didn’t need that kind of scare and she wasn’t going to give it to him. 

“What is it?” 

“That drug’s taking effect now. Got to get back to bed. Night, Joel.” 

“Night, Katherine.” Mick stood in the hallway, looking indecisive about who to sleep with. Evidently the cat decided that Katherine had been spoiled enough so he came to the firefighter, leaped onto the bed and began to snuggle up with him. “I’m the chosen one tonight, huh?” Joel gave him a few sleepy strokes before closing his eyes, thinking that the cat looked like a lion in miniature. 

**

Katherine pulled off her robe in the bedroom, revealing the fact that she was completely stark naked under it. At that point she was sure that both of them were crushing on each other and decided to tease him a tiny bit by exposing a bare shoulder. It was a bit of an accident for her; Mick had upset one of her house plants and sprayed her with dirty water and mud right after she decided to stop piano playing for the night.

That evil cat knew no boundaries.. she thought to herself, getting into the bed. Summer time meant that she could toy with Joel a little bit more with her wardrobe. Strapless tops, halters, bikinis would all make an appearance. Smirking to herself, Katherine’s head hit the pillow as the overwhelming urge to close her eyes overcame her. 

At 5 AM Joel woke up, answered nature calling him, then decided to get a few more hours worth of sleep. He paused in the doorway to Katherine’s room on his way back to look in at her, wondering what time of the morning she usually got up at. 

The teacher was lying on her right side facing the door, the sheet was pulled down to the top of her cleavage enticingly revealing a single bare shoulder. That tableau only heightened his arousal from the dream he had the previous night and he turned red, happy Katherine was too deeply asleep to notice it. Mick meowed at his feet so he went down the hall to the kitchen and fed the cat. 

Dropping back into the bed, Joel thought that he liked the big bed at his house a lot better but he enjoyed being near Katherine more. “It’s gonna be at least a month before she will be cleared for going swimming or anything like that,” he told himself. “why don’t I keep getting to know her as a friend then see where we go from there.” 

Katherine woke up at 7 AM which was her usual time, hearing some choppy tune from the piano. She guessed it was Joel butchering a classic tune so she pulled on her robe and went down the hall to find out. 

It was indeed him sitting at her piano and trying to discern what sheet music actually meant. Katherine laughed at him in a friendly manner, picking up her beginner piano instruction manual and setting it in front of him. “Here’s your quick lesson for today,” she drew him up on the piano bench and positioned his thumb properly. “this is middle C,” Katherine struck the note. “the rest are D, E, F, G. Try practicing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy while I take a shower and clean up.” 

“Yes, teacher lady.” Joel said cheekily, secretly reveling in her attention to him. Katherine was in back of course and while he tantalized himself very briefly with the thought she wasn’t wearing any clothes underneath that robe, the same thought entered Katherine’s mind. She leaned forward enough so her covered chest touched the back of his neck which immediately turned bright pink. Giggling to herself she went into the bathroom and took off her robe, hanging it up on the towel rack. 

While cleaning up Katherine could hear flub ups and Joel’s muttered swearing which made her giggle. Hanging up her towel on the bar, Katherine fluffed out her damp hair, pulled on a strapless top, tied the two strings to preserve her modesty, then chose a pair of denim shorts which came up to mid thigh. The teacher put in two golden hoop earrings, opened up the door and stepped out into the hallway. 

“Wow,” Joel said when he saw her. Katherine’s medic alert necklace was perfectly centered. “you look great.” 

“Thanks. Did you learn the piece?” 

“I did. Have a listen.” Joel played the piece back for her, making a few mistakes but proud nonetheless. 

“Not bad. Soon you’ll be able to bust out the piece like this,” she put her fingers on the keys and played it double time. “now are you hungry?” 

“Yes I am. I don’t think either one of us had any supper last night.” his stomach made a loud rumbling noise much to his consternation. 

“I had some and you were already flat out asleep. Didn’t want to wake you up.” 

“Oh you meanie.. but I ate before I left the firehouse.” 

“All right, come on. Let’s see what the fridge gods left for me.” 

The two of them had breakfast together, coffee, Katherine enjoying the new mug immensely. Joel had to leave shortly after, saying that he had promised to go visit his parents that afternoon. 

“I want you to know that as soon as you’re physically able we will go to my place,” he promised. “there’s a lot of boating and swimming to do and I think you’ll like it.” 

“I can swim but I would need a refresher lesson. It’s been a long time for me. Today I mean to test my voice and see what I can manage.” 

“Have fun on that then,” Joel stood up, loaded the dishwasher then pecked Katherine on the cheek. “I’ll text you later, OK?”

“Sure. Have fun.” 

**

Joel went to see his family in the nearby town of Abbott, greeting his mother and his sister Dawn. His mother, Estelle, was a short lady, a little plump with brown hair streaked with red highlights, and blue eyes that Joel had inherited. She shared her son’s quiet nature but upon seeing her only son she gave him a big hug and sat him down at the kitchen island, asking if he had eaten anything. The smell of sugar cookies freshly baked permeated the air which made his mouth water. Also visiting was his younger sister. Dawn favored her father’s side of the family more, being short and rather dark with black hair, gray eyes and was of average height and build. 

“So tell me, what has my boy been up to lately? Have you met someone yet?” Estelle rifled through a jar filled with kitchen utensils and grabbed a spatula, set it down on the sideboard, then slid a tray into the oven. She shut the door with a small clattering sound, set the timer, then began to put the cookies onto a cooling rack. 

“Mom!” Joel protested, annoyed already as Estelle and Dawn started laughing. “Why do I come here if all I get are such personal questions?”

“You know Mom, bro,” Dawn smirked. “she can’t help herself.” 

“Or you for that matter,” he accused. “for that matter I HAVE met someone. We’re just friends right now but I hope to one day turn it into a relationship.” 

“Really?” Estelle’s eyes lit up. Her boy met someone! She thought he seemed rather different; there was a little light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before for a long time. 

“How did you two meet?” 

“Well Dawn, I met her when I went to do fire prevention day at the local school. She teaches kindergartners and her name’s Katherine Maguire. She’s the same age, got pretty brown eyes and dark hair.” Estelle chuckled to herself, knowing that Joel definitely had a serious crush when he noticed her eye color right off the bat. 

“If you know those kind of details you must have a crush.” 

“I do, Mom. I think she feels the same way. I bonded with her, helped her out after she had surgery, and she lets me crash in her spare room if I’m too tired to drive home after a 24 hour shift.” 

“Sounds like she does like you back. What does she teach?”

“Kindergarten through the morning hours. I think it’s like first and second grade music and science in the afternoon. And I gotta tell you Mom, I think it’s love at first sight. I can’t stop thinking about her. I even had dreams about her.” Joel tried not to blush even a little bit as he remembered the dream last night, reminding himself that he needed to get himself off after such a dream. He owed it to himself now after going so long without a ‘sexual relief session’ as Charlie called it. 

“It sounds like Cupid lodged an arrow fully in your back, brother,” Dawn remarked, chewing on a starlight mint from the jar on the counter. “just be careful and have fun.” 

“Yes always,” Estelle agreed, jabbing at the timer when it went off, then pulled a sheet tray from the oven. “be her friend, don’t scare her off, and just enjoy yourself. How is the poor dear doing after surgery anyway?” 

“You’ve already adopted her, Mom,” Joel had to laugh, pulling a warm cookie off the tray. “she’s doing pretty well now. They gave her some medicine the first night she was in the hospital which made her sick to her stomach a lot and a buddy of mine helped her out on that respect. He was visiting her, suggested they take a drug off of her regimen and she was fine after that. She’s home now, must be her fifth day at home and yesterday her wound care nurse never showed up at all. Each person leaving the hospital after surgery is supposed to have a wound care visiting nurse show up every day but nobody showed up at all. So yesterday the incision was infected and I had to clean it up.” 

“She’s lucky to have you, sonny boy,” Estelle beamed at her son. “has she taught you any piano yet?” 

“In fact she has. As soon as she’s able to I want to show her my house and take her for a boat ride on the lake. Katherine loves boats.” 

“You’ll be doing that before you know it!” Estelle predicted. Joel took a bite of the cookie he had snatched then accepted Dawn’s offer of some milk to go with it. 

“So how’s Dad doing?” Dawn handed Joel a full glass, smiled at his thanks, then sat down next to him, pulling a cookie off of the tray. 

“He’s doing all right. You know he’s got that bad knee of his, the arthritis, but he keeps plugging away relentlessly. He’s off helping some friends today but he sends his love.” with the final batch of cookies done, Estelle turned off the oven and took off her apron. 

“Just like Dad, always helping his friends.” the firefighter grinned. His dad could never sit still; he was always a person who liked to be doing something. 

“Just like us, bro. Dad taught us right. Mom on the other hand..” 

“Dawn Harrison!” 

“Hmm..,” Estelle using Dawn’s maiden name tickled up a memory. “Katherine said she was married to an Arthur Thorndike. Does his name sound familiar?” 

Estelle paused, spatula in midair. “He was that awful slime ball who tried to frame a friend of your father’s for a petty crime. I believe he was caught with female company and brought up on a soliciting charge. Arthur tried to blame Garrett Talbot for his charge and your father never forgot that.” 

“Hasn’t he done more serious crimes? I think I heard more than that..,” Joel whipped out his phone and typed the name into the browser search engine. “Arthur Thorndike, 32, charged with soliciting a prostitute, money laundering in a charitable organization, and domestic abuse.” 

“Oh the poor thing!” Estelle scrubbed the sheet pans, dried them off briskly then put them away in the drawer. “Domestic abuse!” 

“Sadly it doesn’t go away with the generations until it peters out completely,” Dawn bemoaned. “we have evil people in this world.” 

“Katherine told me a little bit about the domestic abuse; I didn’t press her on it.” he added quickly. 

“Good. Word was that Thorndike wanted children out of Katherine. I’m so glad he never got any.” Joel’s sister remembered. “That could have been her saving grace at the end; he wanted out because she couldn’t give him the one thing he really wanted. Then again he probably would have used them against her. We’ll never know now.” 

“Yeah,” Joel agreed. “she’s much better off without him. I want to make sure I’m not rushing into things.” 

“It sounds like you’re doing all the right things,” Dawn cuffed him on the shoulder. “before you know it you might be introducing us to her! Mom will smother her with love and one day she’ll be Mrs. Harrison!” 

Joel laughed, ignoring the blush in his cheeks this time, joined by his mother and sister. 

It was late by the time he left to go home, his mother insisting that he stay to supper and feeding him up like a good mother does. Joel visited with his father for a little while before he started home. 

**  
Pulling into his garage, Joel put his overnight bag on top of the washing machine as a reminder to wash them tomorrow. Full from his mother’s dinner Joel crashed on the couch for a little while, using his tablet for about half an hour.

“God,” he groaned, unable to concentrate anymore. “that dream last night was so real and made me so goddamn horny!” Joel went right into his room, pulled open the last drawer on his nightstand, then retrieved a small bottle of lube and a dirty magazine. “No, I won’t need that tonight,” he thrust the magazine back into the drawer. Turning out the lights he was going to rely on touch while filling his mind with thoughts and mental pictures of Katherine. “that girl is so fucking dirty!” 

At exactly the same time Katherine was in her robe, lying on her bed and waiting for the sedative to start working. She started to imagine Joel’s hands on her upper arms, rubbing in lotion, him whispering dirty talk in her ear, then slid one hand down between her legs. The teacher found her clit easily as she reached over to the nightstand and turned off the light with a horny little smirk on her face. 

The firefighter put a little bit of lube on his hand and started working himself, imagining Katherine riding his manhood, stepping up the pace as he squeezed his eyes shut, his mind flying with images of the dream last night. She was so small compared to him, her skin was so soft and smooth, lively brown eyes and beautiful hair. Fervently he stepped it up more, imagining the feel of those lips on his, the lips going down to his neck, her hands trailing all the way down to his waist, that beautiful body of hers adjusting so she took every last inch of him in! “Oh god! I’m gonna!” as imaginary Katherine began to ride his perfectly timed thrusts Joel groaned and climaxed. 

“Shit!” breathlessly Joel cleaned off his hand and his dick, threw out the used paper towels, changed, and went to bed, feeling satisfied and hoping to have another wet dream about Katherine. Slightly dizzy from his orgasm he shut his eyes though the mental pictures of Katherine didn’t go away. 

Katherine closed her eyes, a vivid fantasy taking place as she worked her clit between her first and second fingers. Joel would take her clothes off, push her down on the bed and work over her small body, then he would neck her, tease her, suck on each one of her breasts in turn then tickle her clit with his fingers. When she was primed and ready he would insert himself into her and slide down, those gorgeous hands on her hips, thrusting away slowly at first then faster. Katherine’s clit throbbed and burned with pleasure; she could feel herself coming hard. 

“Wow… he’ll be even better when we get around to actually having sex.” her smile was so bright she could have been seen in the dark. 

**

During the next several weeks Katherine and Joel began hanging out together once or twice a week. At the end of July she was given the all clear to go back to her usual schedule as her muscles had healed very well. 

“I’m a little hoarse from last night,” the teacher told her surgeon ruefully. “Joel and I went to a baseball game last night and we cheered so hard when our favorite team won!” 

“You’re seeing a lot of him lately. Are you dating?”

“Not yet. I might have to broach the subject pretty quick because honestly I want him.” 

“Go get him!”

“He’s doing a shift right now but I think we can start taking things up a notch.” Katherine thanked her surgeon, happy that she was healing properly. She checked out, paid her copay, then went into her little Volkswagen Jetta, texing Joel: Doc says I’m OK to do anything like swim, hike, etc now! I’m going for a walk. 

Joel checked his text messages, saw the one from Katherine and texted back; Go girl! I’ll txt u when I’m out. He turned off his phone, tucked it away, then helped Charlie in checking the equipment on the engine. 

“So where did you guys go last night?” the shortest firefighter inquired innocently, brushing the metal down on the running boards. “Someplace fun?”

“We went to a baseball game last night at Fletcher Field. Had a hell of a great time,” Joel picked up a whisk broom and swept all the mud off. “Katherine’s a great sport at the baseball games. Wore her hat and everything.” 

“Are you two dating yet?” Charlie’s impish grin was now on full blast. 

“Not yet. I want to go a little slow; give her time for the memories of her ex to dissipate.” 

“Come on now! The fact that she’s going with you to these places doesn’t say that she’s more than willing to throw herself at you?” Charlie shut the panel with a little click and turned to face Joel. “She’s had more than a year to get rid of those bad memories! Time for you to start helping her make some new ones!” 

“What universe do you live in? What girlfriend are you on, buster?” the firefighter rubbed down the shiny stainless steel. 

“Never mind that!” Charlie put his rag in his back pocket, making it look like he had a tail. He shut the equipment back into the recessed hiding place and drew the protective panel down. “Look, did it ever occur to you to just talk to her and see what she wants? She might want the same thing as you.” 

“But her ex..” 

“Are you using her ex as an excuse to take it at a snail’s pace because that’s what you want to do?” sometimes Charlie had some insightful questions. “Are you scared to take it up a notch?” 

“Good questions,” Joel admitted, taking the garage broom to sweep the dirt out onto the street. “we’ve had great fun regardless. We went out to eat a few times, she gave me a tour of the studio she moonlights in, we’ve gone for walks in the woods. You know, I think it’s time to bring her to my place.” 

“There you go! Confess your little heart and see what she thinks! You’ve got nothing to lose,” Charlie reminded him. “if she’s not ready you can still be friends. Just make your intentions clear.” 

“I think I’ll do that. Are we doing water rescue training today?” 

“Yeah; we’ve got to get out to the pond in an hour so let’s step it up.” 

Ben joined them from a medical call and with his help they were done in about 45 minutes. “Shitty call. The person I got called to keeled over and died so I had to call it and come right back.” 

“Sheesh, what happened?” Charlie handed out their water bottles from the fridge. 

“Drug overdose easily. Had all the classic signs. His buddy in that drug den or whatever it was didn’t call until the guy was almost blue in the face. Miserable way to die,” Ben hung up his paramedic shirt and donned the fire department shirt. “but then again some people never learn and the only surefire cure to anything is death.” 

“We’re an awfully jaded bunch aren’t we?” Charlie swung aboard the fire engine, ready to tackle training. 

“Yeah we are but what are you going to do? We see so many people at their worst,” Joel started driving the engine out to the pond. “sometimes the worst don’t get caught and make more trouble.” 

“True that. So Joel how is Katherine doing?” Ben downed about half of his water bottle as he gazed at his friend. A few cars pulled over seeing the fire engine coming down the road but the lights and sirens weren’t on so there was no need to pull over really. Charlie subtly pointed at them and laughed, earning a swat in the back of the head from Ben. 

“She texted me an hour ago before I came on shift and she’s been cleared from all restrictions. I can take her to my place for a swim now.” 

“I think I got him to agree on declaring or at least telling Katherine of his intentions towards her.” Charlie told Ben. 

“Good. It’s a good idea to let her know where you’re coming from. If your paths don’t go towards the common goal you can still be friends.” Ben folded his hands in his lap, thinking about himself and Alexandra. She had been dating him for a few years and made it known that she was thinking about marriage. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to commit to that yet. 

“All right, come on. How about we get in the mindset for training?” Joel could see Ben’s faraway glance which meant he was too distracted in his personal life right then. 

**

The rest of the day passed by swiftly; once training was over the three firefighters were called to two bonfires that had gone out of control but were carefully extinguished, one interstate highway accident, and a kitchen fire that had been started by someone being inattentive while cooking. On the medical side of their shift there had been a stroke victim, several heatstroke cases and one heat exhaustion among other things. 

“Wow, that nice hardbody in the bikini totally made eyes at me,” Charlie bragged as they cleaned their equipment and hung it up. Joel pulled the inner lining out of his turnout coat and checked for any scorch marks. “did you see it?” 

“No; only in your head as usual.” Ben mocked him, cleaning off his helmet. 

“Why don’t we try to grab some sleep?” Joel yawned loudly as he started upstairs. 

There were only two calls that night; Charlie went out to a fire at a bar and was back within the hour, Joel went to another out of control bonfire that he managed to get under control and extinguish. 

Surprisingly they all got a decent night’s sleep, cleaned up the firehouse and got it ready for the next crew to take over. Joel was feeling ebullient with energy and bolstered by Charlie’s words hightailed it over to Katherine’s house, letting himself in. 

“Hey, Katherine!” he said loudly, walking into the living room. The teacher wasn’t in the living room, spare bedroom, her bedroom, kitchen or the bathroom which made him start to wonder a little bit. He heard a meow down at his heels and picked up the big cat, allowing him to sniff his shoulder. 

“Where’d she go, Mick?” Katherine’s car was still in the driveway but she was nowhere to be seen in the house. 

“Out here!” a voice came in through the open window. The teacher was wearing those short shorts again, sneakers and a halter top. Coming into the house she shed gardening gloves, laying them on the porch stairs. “I was just planting some geraniums on the other side of the house.” 

“That hat is ridiculous,” he started laughing at her big floppy straw hat, earning a swat from her. “sorry!” the firefighter put the cat down on the back of the couch as Mick was getting a little restless. 

Katherine took off her aviator sunglasses, clipping them to the front of her top so they dangled from her cleavage, giving Joel naughty thoughts. “Did you come over here to make fun of my gardening gear? Maybe I should just garden naked!” 

“Oh, there’s an idea!” he rolled his eyes. “I came here to officially invite you to my house for a day or two! Mick can come with us.” 

“I’m not wild about taking the cat with me. Cats usually don’t like to travel much. I put out a few food bowls and he fends for himself.” 

“How long can he stay by himself?” Joel was such a frequent visitor now the cat never let him leave without at least a head scratch. 

“Two, sometimes three days. Anyway I’ll pack my backpack and we’ll head up, OK?”

“Sounds great.” Katherine threw her phone, charger, two changes of clothes, nightgown, and her swimsuit. She enclosed her toiletry bag that she’d taken with her to the hospital, zipping up the neon blue bag carefully so it wouldn’t rip. Next she left out adequate food for the cat so he’d have no excuse to complain; she’d just done the litter box so he would be fine. 

“All set and ready to go?” Joel was like a little boy again, fairly jumping up and down in anticipation as the teacher snapped her bag shut. The two of them walked over to the door; Katherine’s fingers hesitated at picking up her car key from the peg on the wall. 

“Should we take both cars?”

“I’ll let you drive my Explorer if you need to,” Joel teased. “unless you’re scared of my big SUV!” 

“That’s a mid size SUV; don’t flatter yourself!” Katherine shut the door and locked her house up tight, jumping into the Ford happily. 

The two of them chattered all the way to Joel’s house which only took about ten minutes. Katherine liked the dark burgundy house on sight, noticing that there were no gardens which was something she’d have to remedy someday. 

“Here we are!” Joel sang out. “What do you think?” he turned the car around in the driveway, aiming for the garage. Several woodland birds fluttered about and Katherine saw a red tailed hawk circling around. It was a beautiful place, far from other people with woods to hike in. 

“Needs some flowers around the perimeter here but I like it.” he rolled into the garage and left the door open. Katherine eyeballed all the sports pennants and posters on the wall, a small red toolbox on a work bench with some old rusty tools scattered on the bench at random. Joel led Katherine through the garage into the house, showing her the downstairs sitting room which had a green plaid futon, a small TV and a throw rug. 

“How charming,” Katherine teased. “very sparse and yet comfortable.” 

“Come on upstairs, that’s where all the fun stuff is!” Joel tugged at her hand, opening up the door and jogging upstairs. Katherine grinned to herself, thinking that she’d never seen him so happy before. She pushed open the door to see the pewter gray kitchen facing in the direction of the lake with a sliding glass door to an open patio. 

Joel closed the door to the stairwell and opened up the one next to it, showing her his room where he put her backpack with a little grin. “Keep that safe for now. How about a swim at the lake?” 

“Sure! Where is it from here?” 

“Wanna change first?”

“I’m already wearing my suit,” she informed him. “hand me a towel, sunscreen and I’ll be good to go!” 

“It’s really close by,” Joel changed into his trunks, threw on a shirt, then put on his sandals. “we can take the bikes.” 

“Sounds like fun, let’s go!” they grabbed their gear, headed down to the garage and Joel steered her to a neon blue mountain bike. Tossing her a helmet he put his on and told her to follow him closely. “Aye aye, captain!” she put on the helmet, snapping the button with a loud click, then started pedaling. 

Down a winding trail the two of them flew on the bikes until they saw crystal blue water, a bike rack for residents only where they parked them. Joel helped Katherine apply sunscreen, trying to ignore the tingling feeling in his crotch when he did it, wiping the lotion all around her back and neck to make sure she was well covered. They switched and Katherine did it to him as well. 

Both of them were wound up like dogs being turned out to run through a meadow after a long winter of being cooped up. They claimed their spots on the beach under a big pine tree then Katherine took off her shirt and skirt, revealing a metallic blue bikini. “Oh wow!” Joel exclaimed, eyes flying to her scar which stuck out a little bit as a deep pink line but it was fully healed now. 

“You never would guess a teacher had a rockin’ bod, would you? From stuffy teacher to cute babe, I’m free!” Katherine ran for the lake and plunged in. Joel didn’t stop laughing as he shed his shoes and shirt, leaping in after her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The two of them acted like a pair of teenagers, teasing and baiting each other, swimming laps, trying to race, etc. Katherine tried jumping him from behind but he easily grabbed her and flipped her forward, making a big splash.

“No fair! You’re too tall!” she protested, giggling as she dodged Joel’s swipe at her. He ended up overbalancing on a rock and went face first into the deep water. Katherine squealed and laughed when she felt his hand on her ankle, holding her breath just in time as he dragged her underwater. Joel’s grinning face popped up in front of hers as she surfaced. 

“Think you have a chance against me?” the firefighter mocked. “I have more strength than you do!” 

“Well, I can play up my femininity a bit but that would be too easy.” Katherine batted her eyelashes. 

“Really?”

“Yeah. Well, I think I need to dry off.” Katherine spread out on the beach blanket of Joel’s; a pretty one with a golden sunrise on it. Joel followed her, sitting down on his blanket while she lay supine in the sun, putting her sunglasses back on. 

“Can I ask you something?” he decided to go for broke like Charlie so highly endorsed. 

“Sure.” arousal burned in him like an all consuming fire as Katherine’s beautiful body was lying so tantalizingly close to his. She had a full figure that filled out the top very nicely and she knew how to take care of herself. 

“Do you see this friendship as turning into a romantic relationship some day?” no pressure, just like Ben had told him. 

Katherine turned her head to look at him more clearly. “Are you serious?” 

“Yeah,” his heart was pounding! “I have been nursing a serious crush on you since we met.” 

“Oh? That makes two of us.” the teacher grinned happily, the whiteness of her teeth contrasting with her lightly tanned skin. 

“Really? So you’d be open to..” he hinted, running a hand on her outer thigh. Katherine felt herself go hot at his touch. 

“Let me put it this way: you have no idea what you’re doing to me just by touching me there.” 

“Are you? Can I?” at her nod Joel slipped his hand down her thigh, moved from outer to inner, then slid a finger into her outer pussy lips then the inner lips. “You are wet!” 

“You gave me wet dreams,” Katherine admitted shyly, sitting up so he had to remove his hand. “I had so many fantasies about you.” 

Joel smiled to himself while Katherine put her shirt back on so she didn’t burn in the sun. She collected her gear and asked him what the goofy smile was all about. “Charlie advised me on just leveling with you one hundred percent and I find it hard to believe something he said actually worked!” 

“Oh I see! Time flies; how about we go grab some lunch back at your place?” 

“Sure,” Joel wanted to kiss her but he didn’t want other people to see them; there was a big party coming down from the road. “come on then.” 

Once they were back in the privacy of his house, Joel took Katherine’s arm, making her turn back and stare at him for a moment. “Can I do something?”

“What?” smiling with her head to one side she looked like she knew exactly what he was thinking. 

“Oh just this.” he locked lips with her. It was even better than the dream for obvious reasons. Katherine’s lips were softer than he imagined and she tasted good to him. He reached up one hand to brush her hair aside then with his fingers at the back of her ears, thumb at the front, he held her head to one side. She willingly opened up her mouth so he could probe with his tongue which lasted for several enjoyable seconds. 

When their lips parted, Joel opened up his eyes and looked like he had just woken up from a dream. Katherine looked the same so he took his hand, steered her over to the sofa and sat down. She kicked off her sandals, tucking her knees up under her while Joel took her left hand, intertwining their fingers together. “How about a little TV?” 

“Well sure. What kind of movie is playing?” 

“It’s about 3 PM so we’re halfway into Jurassic Park.” 

“Oh, all right. Oh, the little boy grew into quite a handsome man.” 

“You crushing on him?”

“Maybe. I need to be taught a lesson,” Katherine took her pinky finger and put it between her lips provocatively, making eyes at Joel suggestively. “gee, what do you think?” 

“I think you need a little discipline. Remember what happened to that goat in the tyrannosaurus enclosure?”

“The rex ate him. I might just have to eat you now!” Joel reached out, grabbing Katherine by the hips and knocking her on her back. He took both of her wrists, leaning in with a little bark as he necked Katherine, adding in some bite which made her squeal and reel back. 

“I fight dirty, just so you know!” Katherine slid one shin down so that she rubbed his crotch, then managed to wrench one of her wrists free. Joel started to laugh as she quickly palmed his groin area, rubbing very fast to disarm him. 

“You do play dirty!” 

“Come on now, why don’t we finish the rest of the movie and then tonight we can fool around? I had a vivid fantasy about you and me last night and I want to see if I can make it a reality.” she hinted. 

“Oh, I want to see where that goes. Sure, why don’t we pause the bedroom games until we’re in the bedroom.” Joel got off of her, sitting on the couch leaning against the armrest, legs up, drawing Katherine in his lap. 

Throughout the movie Joel wrapped his hands around Katherine’s waist, one of his hands locked with hers. The teacher enjoyed the contact a lot, remembering that her husband had never held her like that before. She leaned her head back against Joel’s chest, peering up to look at him at a commercial break. 

“Comfy?” he smiled. 

“Very. I feel so safe with you.” 

“Because I’m a paramedic and firefighter?” 

“No; it’s because you’re unlike any other guy I’ve met. It must be your calm and rugged demeanor. I don’t feel threatened at all by you like I did with Arthur.” 

“I have questions on that front but no rush.” 

“I can give you the lowdown if you want,” she offered. 

“If you’re comfortable with it. I know you’ve been divorced almost a year now.” 

“The lowdown,” Katherine leaned her head back so she could see Joel clearly. “I was married to Arthur for four years. He and I just met when I was fresh out of college, young and inexperienced. Back then I didn’t know what love is and just got swept away. The first three years Arthur was nice but distant like a roommate not a husband. He wouldn’t touch me except for our birthdays and maybe Christmas and I just put up with it. We lived in Portland for those 3 years, right on Forest avenue and I was very unhappy there. I didn’t know it then but he’d been consorting with whores right off the bat; I was very fortunate to not get a disease. Back then I must have subconsciously stopped trusting him and got screened every year.” 

“Smart girl. What happened in the last year?” 

“I started opening up my eyes and getting suspicious. Arthur would come home at all hours smelling like cheap booze and perfume, he never let me have access to our bank accounts and it was only after I managed to lie like mad to get in, I saw he was paying whores about three hundred a night to fuck him.” 

“Ugh.” Joel growled. 

“I’m glad you feel that way. I learned a hard lesson; not to let myself get talked into a sham marriage just for the sake of being married. Then a year ago I started instigating divorce proceedings against Arthur when he was arrested for solicitation and money laundering. Enough was enough. I was more or less living on my own before and after that. Arthur is a partner and manager of several resorts in the state of Maine so he was always living at one of the properties and getting the local whores to satisfy his sick whims.” 

“Where does the children piece play into it? I remember he was making a big stink about you not being able to give him what he wanted.” 

Katherine snorted. “Well, it goes like this: if he really wanted to knock me up he’d have to fuck me during the fertile time of the month, right? My window of opportunity is only 24 hours. Arthur didn’t want to fuck me at a specific time to conceive so no wonder that he couldn’t be man enough. A good man will follow directions if he really wants something.” 

“Are you turned off the idea of having kids for life? I know you teach little kids and you don’t like it.” 

“Depends on the other person. If he’s steady, dependable, supportive, then we shall see. In the meantime I worked hard for this body and I’m gonna flaunt it all I want.” 

“Well, bravo I guess.” 

“I don’t mean that in a bad way. Besides do you know that you have a killer body as well? Now, if I can ask you a question-”

“Go ahead. My life’s an open book.” 

“Have you ever had a girlfriend?” 

“I’ve had one so far. Two years ago I was doing a stint with some New Hampshire firefighters before I moved here and had a blonde girl named Christina. She seemed intelligent enough but within six months I knew it wasn’t going to work. She kept at me to spend more time with her and ditch the firefighters all together but I couldn’t do that. My work is my life and I won’t sacrifice it just to please the whims of a lady any day.” 

Katherine chewed that over for about 30 seconds while Joel watched her, afraid that he may have just lost his crush. She gazed up at him with her dark eyes shining. “I understand that. Fires don’t schedule themselves around shifts you know. Apart from that you need downtime for family and whatnot. That’s not something I would ever demand of you.” 

“I’m so glad!” Joel pecked her cheek a bit nervously. “I was wondering that about you and you seem like you understand what the role of firefighter and paramedic plays in my life. Do you feel the same about your voiceover career?” 

“Oh yeah. I get along fine with the alimony and my teaching job; that windfall of winning the national jingle spot before I had surgery cemented my career. Now I have a reputation around town as the jingle queen and things are looking up. I’m known as the ex wife of Arthur Thorndike yes but I am living my best life without him.” 

“I hope I play into that life,” the movie credits started to roll as Joel put his hand on Katherine’s shoulder. “so far it’s working out well.” 

“You’re on the right track, Joel.” Katherine put her hand on top of his. “I hope this isn’t too forward of me but I wouldn’t mind procreating with you someday. Before 35 but that’s plenty of time.” 

“I’ll say. You just had your 30th birthday, right?”

“Yeah,” a new movie started to play. “I’ve never seen this one before, 12 Monkeys.” 

“Me neither. We got to start thinking about supper; what do you want?” 

“Gosh I don’t know. How about we order in?”

“In half an hour or so. Pizza?” 

“Calzone. Thompson’s has a great cheese one.” 

“I’ve tried it. Not really a fan but I love their chicken alfredo one.” 

“You’re making me hungry!” Joel laughed. 

**   
That night after supper (after the aforementioned calzones), the happy couple camped out on the sofa for two more movies, Katherine’s favorite, Goldeneye, and Joel’s favorite, SAW 1. 

When they went back to the couch after supper Joel insisted on being held in Katherine’s arms instead. Katherine said he was too big to be in her lap but she found a compromise. Sitting on the couch at an angle, back against the armrest and cushions, Joel put his head on her chest, leaning a little of his weight on her. He ran one of hands down her toned arm, stopping at a white line on the inside of her wrist. 

Shit, I should have covered that, Katherine saw him looking. I can’t go into it now. 

But one of Joel’s strengths was to observe without saying anything or giving a reaction whatsoever. The paramedic simply kissed the line like he could make it vanish that way and focused in on Goldeneye. Katherine felt her heart melt and she thanked her lucky stars that God above had sent her such an amazing man. 

Neither one of them said anything during the movies except that Katherine didn’t like the one that Joel had picked. When it was done Joel picked it out of the DVD player and asked her what she thought of it. 

“Ugh; I understand the psychology and thriller aspect of it but do people really need to sever their own limbs off?” 

“Oh, come on! You didn’t like it?”

“I like the paranormal, Joel! Slasher doesn’t cut it for me.” 

“All right, I won’t expect you to watch anymore ‘fun’ films,” he teased, shelving the DVD. “it’s bedtime.” 

“OK, Dad!” Katherine got up from the couch, grabbed her little toiletry bag and marched into the bathroom. She cleaned up, put her items back and produced a pill bottle. “I take Seroquel to help me sleep at night. Once I take this we have an hour to fool around.” 

“You can’t sleep at night unless you take it?” Joel spat into the sink, rinsed it down, then put his toothbrush away. 

“Yeah.” 

“Did something instigate your insomnia? A trauma?” they both walked into the bedroom. Katherine liked it for what it was; hunter green with several framed pictures of a few fire crews that he had worked for. A card underneath two frames indicated the first one was when Joel had served for four years in the Philadelphia fire department, the second was with a New Hampshire crew dated three and a half years ago. 

“Yeah, it was a hell of a trauma. Can I tell you tomorrow? I’m interested now in your professional career.” she indicated the photos. 

“Ask away.” Joel shed his clothes behind her back, just putting on a tartan red robe. Katherine took off her t-shirt and bikini top, put on her navy blue robe with silver colored trim, then shed her shorts and bikini bottoms.

“Did you know what you wanted to do right out of high school?” 

“Yes I did. I was an EMT or the most basic level of emergency responder due to a vocational school program, I did volunteer firefighting which paid my tuition for fire science and I got EMT, EMS, and paramedic training. “ 

“Oh, so it’s a three tier program then. Nice.” she sat on the edge of the bed as Joel walked over to her. 

“Yeah. It took me about three years to get all my training and certifications done, I went to Philadelphia to get advance training on the job. I was 22 at the time, ready for anything, spent four years there, was 26 when I went to New Hampshire for more advanced training, and when my sister had her baby I went here to Stonehaven where I’m just a half an hour drive to see Mom and the others.” he towered over her. Katherine seemed strangely hesitant for some reason. “Are you nervous?” 

“It’s been a long time for me,” she admitted. “I’m always nervous in the bedroom area.” 

“We could wait.” 

“No; I have to get over it. There’s always nervousness in a new sexual encounter anyway. I want you to take those beautiful hands of yours and work me like you would a fire hose.” 

Joel’s eyes widened and he put his glasses away, turning off the lights. A sliver of moonlight shone down on them from the window where in the distance an owl hooted. The firefighter put his hands on Katherine’s shoulders, sliding them under the knit fabric of her thin robe, exposing them to the silvery dim light. Joel leaned down to kiss her, sealing their lips together, running his hands all over her body from the curve of her shoulders, down her sides and to the supple skin of her hips. 

Katherine moaned and fell back on the bed, lost in the firefighter’s touch. She raised up her head to meet his kiss but when she tried to touch him back he took her hands with a little shake of his head. “Let me.” Joel began to fondle her chest, licking the divot between her collar bones, paying attention to every little feature that she had. 

When Joel finally let her take back her hands she ran them all over his body, pinching his bicep to see how muscular he really was and admitted she was impressed. He readjusted themselves so they were completely on the bed, then slid his hand into her crotch. Not expecting his finger to go where it did she gasped a little bit which made him smile; he loved her little sounds. 

“I think you’re ready.” he teased her. 

“I didn’t come this far just to be denied,” Katherine’s heart sped up a little bit in anticipation. “go for it.”

“Like I needed permission..” Joel kissed her deeply, his technique producing a sigh. In no time at all Katherine felt the firefighter enter her and stretch her out to fit. “you’re so tight.” 

“Pelvic floor exercises keep me nice and tight.” 

“Ready? Hang on now!” 

When they were done, Katherine was lying in Joel’s embrace quite happily, the sedative was starting to take effect when Joel kissed her neck, draping a blanket over her. 

“I dreamed about this, practically from the first moment that we met.” 

“Me too. Hope you don’t mind that I finished inside.” he admitted, studying her silhouette. 

“That’s all right.” 

“What if I get you pregnant?” 

“Cross that hurdle when we get there. Besides I have a tracker app on my phone that I checked earlier. I’m nowhere near my fertile window right now.” 

“Sure?”

“Yeah. I’m not a fan of babies and the havoc that they make on a great body like mine so if I near my window of opportunity I’ll let you know then we can make an informed decision.” 

“Fair enough.” Katherine closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. Joel kissed her hand, putting it over her midsection. It would be great if they had a child someday but that was a long time coming he knew. The firefighter relaxed, exhaling slowly and following Katherine’s example he fell asleep as well. 

**

The following morning Joel woke up around 8 AM to see Katherine was still asleep next to him. Leaning down he bestowed a kiss to the teacher to try to wake her up. She roused halfway through and met the kiss right back, opening up her eyes as he withdrew and grinned. 

“Good morning, my sweet. What would you like to do today?” 

“I can think of a few things I’d like to do. Do you have any gardening equipment here?” 

“I don’t think I do. Why?”

“Because I can find some nice low maintenance plants to make a little garden you can take care of.” 

“Well, how about we cook breakfast and brainstorm that, eh? My guts are growling.” 

“Oh, amen to that too. Let’s go,” she draped her robe over her body and stood up. “coming?” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

After a very enjoyable shower, Katherine dressed in jean shorts, sneakers, and a dark blue tank top. Joel put on a gray shirt and cargo shorts. Walking out to the kitchen Joel showed Katherine what his food situation was like and she pulled together breakfast sandwiches using egg, cheese and a little sausage in a bagel. 

“You know I never gave much thought to making those myself,” he told her, accepting the second one she’d made. “I’ll have to think of it now!” 

“Careful, it’s still hot!” she gave him a glass of juice and selected milk for herself. Joel wondered why she didn’t drink orange juice like he did then remembered it was because of her reflux issues. The two of them gossiped over breakfast; Joel made her laugh when he described Charlie’s flurry of pranks at the firehouse. 

“You know I can just picture him doing that!” Charlie mostly did school age pranks like remote controlled fart machines, hiding cleaning supplies and being super dirty. Everyone tolerated the pranks to some degree but the one that made Ben the maddest was the time Charlie put fake vomit in his shoes. 

“Ben doesn’t like puke in any sense of the word so he gets Charlie back when they were off duty together, gets Charlie roaring drunk, drops him off at his place and hides the cleaning supplies.” 

Laughing loudly Katherine put her cup down. “I can just see that-it’s totally Ben. He’s all innocence behind those eyes but he’s really funny. I can imagine Charlie the next day fresh off the power barfing that being drunk gets you.” 

“Charlie hasn’t pulled any pranks on Ben since then. I still get the whoopee cushion under my chair on occasion but it’s never been more than a few pranks at a time now. He’s afraid of provoking Ben any further.” 

Katherine finished up and put her plate in the dishwasher. “Who else is in the firehouse besides you three?” 

“We’re a small town so not many. We have about 20 guys altogether and we use about five to six on a shift or more. Our chief is Warren Molloy; real nice guy. He’s not as tall as Ben, probably about my height with some more weight on his frame but he’s real easygoing. You’ll recognize him when you see him. I hope to get promoted to captain sometime soon. Promotion time is coming up and there will be a few new recruits I’ll need to train.” 

“Sounds great. In the fall there might be a student teacher I’ll need to train. They usually stay about two months and leave at December.” 

“So, ready for the garden store?” 

One hour later the couple arrived back from the greenhouse and equipment store. Joel put all the new tools on his workbench in the garage, stripped the pricetags off of them, and put them in the one gallon bucket he’d bought. 

With the tools all organized he brought them out to where Katherine was pulling on a set of garden gloves that were black with white rubber grips on the palms and fingers. She’d taken the trays of geraniums and poppies out of the back and had a bag of daffodil and tulip bulbs to plant. Joel watched as Katherine marched to a site next to the door, scouting the locations to dig. 

“Need some muscle to start digging?” he startled her by coming up behind her, shovel in hand. 

“Yeah; why don’t you strip out from here to here about a foot wide?” 

“Can do.” he started digging. Katherine made him go to the edge of the house, and once he was done he started putting in the edging, about eight feet of it. 

Katherine began to plant the tulip bulbs first then put the multicolored geraniums in second. Within a few hours the front of Joel’s house was a riot of color which made him happier to see it. The teacher wiped a hand across her brow, happy that she had thought to wear her floppy sun hat. Joel might make fun of it but she still liked it. 

“You did great work, cutie!” just his voice was enough to make her feel giddy. Joel had brought her some water in her old neon pink Nalgene bottle. She thanked him and chugged on the lukewarm water, surveying her work. 

“It looks more cheerful now.” 

“Doesn’t it? How about we go out on the boat now?” 

“Sounds like fun!”


	8. Chapter 8

Their time out on the boat was an adventure to say the least. Katherine insisted on driving for awhile until Joel had to pry control of the wheel from her fingers by playing dirty. After about 30 minutes of puttering around Joel got restless and bored, then announced that he wanted to water ski. Katherine was amazed; she didn’t think that he was that type of person to get out there and get wild but he was a firefighter after all and they were often surprising. 

In his water skis, neon green swim trunks and bright red shirt Katherine would recognize him if he lost his line. He took the lead, told Katherine to drive slowly out at first then build up some speed. “It’ll hurt if you don’t.” 

“You ski a lot?” wearing her bikini and metallic pink sarong she glanced up at him through her sunglasses. Her hair kept slapping her in the face from the boat rides so she put it in a messy braid to keep it out of the way. Katherine picked up a neon green life vest and put it on him, snapping the buckles clumsily. 

“I’ve been known to do it,” he said, trying to sound mysterious. “I prefer this to parasailing, body boarding or anything else. Go slow at first that’s all. Got my phone in the bag there?” 

“I left our phones at home; not taking any chances on water damage.” Katherine winked at him, walked down the dock and hopped into the boat. She turned the key, fired up the motor and with the bilge pumps humming, gently towed Joel out onto the water. He hit the surface smoothly and braced himself as he heard the motor downshifting to speed up. 

Being towed out of the cove by Katherine, Joel relaxed even more and brightly smiled, feeling the sun shining down, smelling the fresh air of pine trees, hearing the splashing of the waves and ducks squawking. There were a lot of kids out and running around that day, jumping into the water and shrieking with glee. A few people waved to him and he waved back happily. 

“Hammer down!” Joel shouted to Katherine after they cleared the cove. The teacher understood, gradually getting up to speed and thrashing him all around the lake in the blink of an eye. Frequently she glanced back to make sure he was all right. Twice he lost the rope and she had to circle back but it was in good fun. The firefighter tried to get Katherine to water ski but she wasn’t having any of it. 

“I prefer a sedate swim in the lake thank you very much.” they had lunch together in the boat after Joel got tired of water skiing. He allowed the boat to drift behind an island where a cacophony of ducks quacking met their ears. Several Canadian geese and even a few box turtles were sunning themselves on the shoreline, making Katherine smile at seeing them. 

“This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” she pulled her seat back so she was lying flat on it then watched the seagulls and hawks flying overhead. “this is great.” 

Joel packed off the remains of the lunch they had in the canvas bag and did the same. “You don’t have any fun?” 

“Well sure I do. I play the piano for the Christmas and Thanksgiving plays for my students and some other times. I’m not really what you call an adventurer if you will. More of a homebody than anything else though after my divorce I took the first week of August and went upstate.” 

“Where’s that?” 

Katherine smiled. “Bar Harbor.” 

“You went all the way down east, huh?” 

“Grabbed a regional flight to Bangor and got myself into a resort. I treated myself well, getting a nice Swedish massage and basic spa treatment.” Joel could picture it well; Katherine lying facedown on a cushioned table, an athletic looking masseuse working the knots and aches out of her shapely form. Before he could get too carried away by his imagination he asked her a few questions about Bar Harbor. 

“What’s it like up there?”

“Humid, crowded. I found Eden Street to be interesting. Full of great shops. You know the welcome sign on my door? I bought that up in Bar Harbor.” the welcome sign was a painted loon on a lake. 

“Wait a sec, I heard something,” Joel heard splashing right up next to the boat. He stepped over to Katherine and leaning over her, looked down. 

“I’ll be damned.” 

“What?” she leaned up but Joel put a hand on her side, feeling that hot flush run through him again. 

“It’s an otter looking at us.” the animal was enjoying riding the slight wake of the boat’s trolling motor. Katherine twisted so she could look, brushing her chest up against Joel in order to tease him a little more, then grinned at the sight of the brown animal playing. As they watched, it rode the waves a few minutes more, swam to shore and the last sight they had was of it loping off through the underbrush to its den. 

“So what do you want to do now?” Katherine deliberately posed provocatively for Joel, insinuating what she wanted to do. 

“Well, my crotch is telling me to go something we both enjoy but what do you say we head for shore?” 

“I’m game.” he turned the boat around and headed back to the launch. 

**

After a quick swim the pair went back to the house, each took showers to get all the lake scum and sand out of their hair, then Katherine flopped herself onto Joel’s bed wearing nothing but her robe. She glanced over at the pictures he had on the wall of his family, one of his parents, a few of his sisters, etc and found herself feeling a little wistful. 

Joel was downstairs for the moment, putting in a last minute load of laundry before his shift at the firehouse the following day. Katherine gazed again at the pictures, wondering what her life would have been like if her parents had been around. They’d have loved Joel, she was sure, and her wayward brother.. 

“So what are you doing?” Joel make her jump as he stood in the doorway for a moment. 

“I was just thinking about my parents.” 

“Oh yeah?” he sat down next to her on the bed. “What in particular?” 

“How much they would have loved you.” 

“You think so, huh?” Joel ran his hands on her shoulders, playfully taking one corner of the robe and pulling it down. Katherine’s lightly tanned skin met his gaze which started to set his mind on fire with possibilities. 

“Yeah,” she pulled a stray piece of hair away from her neck so he could get a better look. “it’s so not fair what happened to them.” 

“How did it happen?” he pulled down the other shoulder of her robe. Katherine hugged the fabric just above her bosom to tease him a little bit. The firefighter could tell that she wasn’t really in the mood just yet; her look was listless and she wasn’t responding to his caresses just yet. Joel just needed to get her to talk a little bit and he was glad to listen. She just needed some physical comfort from him first. 

“Drunk driver. They rammed into a telephone pole and were killed instantly. You’d have liked them.” 

“What did they look like?” Joel lightly kissed her right under her earlobe. 

“My mom’s name was Emma, she was on the heavy side, brown hair, big brown eyes and was one of the most warmest and welcoming people you could imagine. My dad was a tall guy, husky, green eyes which I wish I had gotten from him. He was a blonde guy, pretty even tempered, etc.” 

“How about their mannerisms? What kind of people were they?” the firefighter ran his hands over her shoulders, giving her an impromptu rub which she seemed to like. Joel took some gel aloe from the canvas bag near the foot of the bed and began to rub the aloe in, working her shoulders to get her to relax. 

“Both of them were the most welcoming people you can imagine. Mom taught me cooking, Dad taught me basic home repair and car maintenance and not to be afraid of a tool. Both of my parents were musical so I got piano and drum lessons from them.” 

“What about your brother?” 

“Gareth? He’s estranged himself from me since my parents died. We weren’t close. He was doing software developing for a big corporate company and I never hear from him.” 

“Do you miss him?” 

“No. I’m used to living my life alone.” Katherine closed her eyes mournfully. Joel sensed she wasn’t telling him everything but he didn’t expect her to. The firefighter kissed her collarbone, going up to her neck and following her jawline. He couldn’t imagine going through his life without his parents to turn to; yet Katherine had done it for almost 11 years and it must have been heartbreaking for her. 

“All right, I think you need to leave it to me now.” Joel allowed her head to rest on his broad shoulder for a minute, enjoying the warm weight and the fact that she was so comfortable with him. He put one hand on hers, squeezing it gently in support. 

Katherine blinked in surprise. “What?” 

“Leave it all to me,” he kissed and tongued her neck and shoulders, making her giggle. “I’m going to make you feel great.” 

“How about no?” Joel noticed a devilish glint in Katherine’s eye. She pushed him down, straddled him, then kissed him deeply. 

“Whoa!” grinning she pulled his shirt off of him as he gripped her hips. “Is this payback for last night?” 

“No. I like it when you get protective of me sure, but I like to be in control sometimes.” Katherine worked him over with some lotion, driving him wild with desire. She kissed, sucked and teased him until he was raring to go, hot for her and going insane with impatience. 

“I forgot my cowgirl hat but never mind that, here we go!” the teacher lowered herself onto him while he grinned in all his horny glory. 

The alarm clock on the nightstand read 4:30 as Joel opened up his eyes, not even realizing that he’d fallen asleep. Katherine was lying next to him, her eyes closed. The firefighter bit back a grin as his stomach rumbled a little bit, reminding him that it was time to start supper. 

“Gotta get supper started, cutie.” he kissed her cheek and got out of bed, pulling on shorts and a t-shirt. 

Fifteen minutes later Katherine woke up, heard her boyfriend clattering around in the kitchen, put on her shorts and a camisole top and went out to see what he was doing. Joel was standing with his back to her, chopping on the cutting board. She leaned over to see he was cutting up vegetables and he had a much better knife technique than she did. 

“Well, you can cook,” he almost jumped at hearing her voice. Katherine smiled at him as he dumped the vegetables into a cast iron skillet. “what are you making?” 

“Oh, simple stir fry. Why don’t you cut up the chicken for me?” he passed her a cutting board, chicken breast and a small knife. 

Katherine did as he requested, asking him how long he wanted the strips to be. Joel got behind her, put his hands on hers and demonstrated. “Your knife skills need sharpening, so to speak. I think you should use the knife more this way. Make sure to keep only your fingertips on the chicken like this so you don’t cut yourself.” 

“Oh OK, master,” she laughed. “what else do you want me to to?” 

“Stand there and look pretty. I need some eye candy while I finish this off.” 

After supper(which was well enjoyed by both of them), Joel sprawled out on the couch, picking up his tablet and paging through Facebook. He friended Katherine, updated their status to in a relationship, then asked if she thought it would be a good idea to take a picture of themselves. 

“Well sure then.” they were both smiling in the picture which Katherine quickly took as her profile image. Several likes popped up already, making her laugh to herself. She clicked off the phone and stowed it in her bag. 

“So I know you have to work tomorrow. Do I stay overnight here and leave with you or what?” 

“Well, I won’t kick you out when I leave. I have to be there at 7 AM. You can leave when you want. I am definitely going to miss you and I think Charlie is going to razz me to no end when I get back.” 

“Just make sure you concentrate on the job at hand. I won’t forgive you if you get hurt.” she warned him. 

“I know. Anyway, what do you want to do for our next date?” 

“Not sure yet. I have to attend a conference for teaching so you’ll get a day to yourself this week. Thankfully this year it’s local so I won’t be leaving town. Tomorrow night I’ll be in the studio to polish up the newest jingle I’ve composed.” 

“National?” 

“No, more regional. It’s a silly shampoo ad.” 

“Still it’s something. Does Arthur try to get a cut of your earnings?” that question had been buzzing around in his head for a few weeks. 

“No. I didn’t venture into voiceover work until I was divorced. I was feeling daring and I have nothing to lose.” 

“I like that attitude.” 

“Thanks,” she yawned. “I better hit the sack or I’ll fall asleep on you.” 

Once they were in bed, Katherine took her Seroquel and while she was waiting for it to kick in, asked Joel about his job. “What do you like most about it?”

“Making someone’s day brighter. I had a case of someone with a grand mal seizure and I was able to get all the right medicine into him and haul him into the emergency room. The mom was very grateful and commended me to the fire chief. What really hits me is the kids that often get involved. There were little babies in car accidents that just barely made it and some that didn’t. I hate it when kids die.” 

“Aw babe,” she kissed his cheek. “I hate it when they die too. They’re innocent.” 

The firefighter only lowered his head. Those types of cases weighed heavily on him and he always needed a lot of downtime to process it all and go on with his job. It was disheartening when someone died but when you were a firefighter/paramedic it came with the territory. The domestic violence cases he’d seen, the fires when people didn’t make it out alive and he couldn’t revive them started to cloud his mind. 

“Joel honey, look at me,” Katherine directed him. “just do what you can when you’re on the job and don’t internalize it. I know you guys debrief on the hard cases to get it off your chest; you can talk to me about them too.” 

“You’d want me to do that?” he asked, the dark memories in his mind faded away. 

“If it’s on your mind I would insist. That’s how we help each other in a relationship.” 

“I’ve never been in such a fulfilling and satisfying relationship before,” Joel kissed Katherine gratefully. “I see your eyelids drooping down. Time for sleep, right?” 

“That’s right, my hunky stud.” she put her hand on his, closing her eyes. 

A few minutes later Joel was about ready to fall asleep as well when he turned and saw Katherine lying asleep next to him. For some reason the song from the movie Armageddon passed through his mind, then realized that he finally understood what it meant. He had to leave early in the morning for work and didn’t want to miss a second of being together with Katherine. Joel gazed at her until his eyelids became too heavy and he finally fell asleep. 

**

Five thirty in the morning came too soon. Joel stopped the alarm before it went off, did his morning routine and it was ten past six when Katherine came out of the bedroom. She hadn’t showered yet and looked sleepy. 

“Hey, what are you doing up?” he set his overnight bag down by the door. “I’ve got to leave in ten minutes.” 

“If you go you take your car,” she reminded him. “I’d have to Uber back and I’d rather ride with you.” 

“I didn’t think that one through did I?” he laughed ruefully. 

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll get dressed, take my meds and we can go.” Katherine got dressed quickly, grabbed her things and accompanied Joel out to the Explorer. “I’ve got a teleconference with some corporate bigwigs about a jingle they were thinking about.” 

“You’re getting popular aren’t you?” 

“Well, this is a nice change from submitting audition pieces and getting rejected. I’m finally getting noticed.” 

“I can imagine. Before I forget us firefighters are going to sponsor a Red Cross blood drive. If you want to donate you can.” 

“Um, I actually can’t. My medicine I’m on plus chronic anemia due to the Crohn’s means I can’t give blood at all.” 

“Oh that sucks.” 

“Ha! Not literally.” Katherine laughed. 

“How about a little drive through coffee?” Joel pulled up, getting a regular coffee for himself, Katherine liked the dark roast a lot better. “On me, my darling girl.” 

“Darling girl,” her face lit up. “I like that one.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Katherine’s house came into sight too quickly and in spite of the fact they both had been drinking coffee shared a kiss while Katherine grabbed her bag and left the Explorer. 

“Text me, sexy.” she winked and shut the door. 

“Wow. I’m a lucky guy.” Joel felt like he was walking on air as he drove through the small town and pulled up at the firehouse in no time at all. With his overnight bag on one arm he went upstairs, claimed his bed then went downstairs. 

The previous shift had just left while Ben and Charlie went into the living room where Joel had just settled in. Ben gave him a customary hello but what was unusual for him was the slow smile on his face. Charlie was beyond ebullient, bouncing into the room and planting himself in front of his friend with a wide smile. 

“I know that look!” he teased. “You got some! It was the teacher, right? She take in your lovesick heart and give you some pussy?” 

“Shut it, Wanker!” Joel laughed while Ben watched his friend with interest, also noticing the happier air that his friend was emitting. 

“You do have the air of a guy who got some,” Ben unexpectedly remarked. “I’m happy for you.” 

That was the extent of his leg pulling from Ben. Joel endured several minutes of lewd comments from the younger firefighter. Rolling his eyes he wouldn’t say anything until the comments died down and Charlie seemed to run out of steam. 

“For your information we are dating, I was upfront about my intentions and yes we did spend a few nights together.” very satisfying memories floated up to his mind’s eye at the moment then he had to make a conscious effort not to blush. 

“Do tell!” Charlie could see a very faint tinge of pink which made him even more excited. 

“Charlie, shut up,” Ben spoke up. “it isn’t your business to know and it isn’t mine to know either.” 

“You’re boring, Ben! You never ask about the good stuff.” if he had his way Charlie would be hearing every last sordid detail about everyone’s sexual encounter. He liked sex a little too much but he didn’t think too much of his girlfriends. All of them seemed to share the viewpoint that he was just in it for the sex and nothing more. 

“The good stuff is between me and Katherine,” Joel told him firmly. “we don’t kiss and tell.” 

“Good for you.” Ben said with an air of finality. “I think Wanker here has too much energy so how about we make him go run an inspection on the engine?” 

“Aw, come on guys!” he whined as the tallest firefighter pushed him towards the door. Once Charlie was out of sight Ben turned towards Joel.

“A couple of shops need fire inspection and I’m quite happy that you found Katherine and you both seem to care for each other,” he cuffed the younger firefighter on his shoulder with a slow smile. “truly.” 

“Thanks, man. So where is the first inspection?” 

“It’s just a small restaurant downtown.” they got into Ben’s car and went to the location.

**

“Well, I must say I know what to do here.” Katherine walked into the recording studio where her teleconference was to be held. It was about half an hour before the scheduled call so she picked up a pair of drumsticks and sat down on the stool. 

The teacher turned on You’re My Best Friend by Queen and played along with Roger. When she was done with the drums she turned to the keyboard and turned on the video camera to record her playing. The bass line was deceptively simple on the electric keyboard and she played the entire song through without messing up. As soon as she played the first beats she opened up her mouth and began to sing along, thinking of Joel and smiling to herself. 

“That one’s for you, Joel.” Katherine turned off the video camera and uploaded the video to Youtube, putting up disclaimers as she went. She texted him the link so he could look at it whenever he wanted. 

There was still plenty of time before her meeting so she sat back down behind the drums and began to freestyle, experimenting with the drums and time signatures. 

Joel sat back and pushed out the footrest on the recliner, dozing near the darkened window until the alarm went off again. He pulled out his phone and had to smile when he saw that Katherine had a Youtube channel full of her giving piano and drum tutorials for popular songs. 

“You know when a guy smiles down at his crotch it’s not a good thing!” Charlie trumpeted as he blustered into the room. “God it’s hot today!” 

“Shove off, asshole. Katherine sent me something.” 

“A nudie pic perhaps?”

“She’s got more class than that. Anyway it’s just a piano tutorial I think.” he clicked on it and it began to play. Katherine’s cute alto voice began to sing as the camera focused on her hands playing the keys. 

“That’s her singing? She’s got a cute voice.” 

“You heard her singing before.” 

“Not like this. She was doing a jingle ad; this is something better than that.” both of them listened, hoping that the alarm wouldn’t go off until she was done. 

Mercifully the video ended without any interruptions. Joel gazed at the video through his Youtube channel, liked it, then put his phone back on the side table. Then the alarm went off. 

“Structure fire at 20 Long Hill Road.” 

“Well, I think that’s us.” they got up, grabbed Ben from the garage bay, suited up in their boots and turnout great, then clambered aboard the truck. Charlie was actually the best at driving the engine to an emergency so they let him take the wheel. 

The structure fire in question was an old barn that looked like it needed to be torn down. Joel remembered driving past on more than one occasion and thinking that the building had to be condemned and torn down. Often the town would give the fire department condemned buildings to do a controlled burn where they could practice their skills more. 

“Well, time to punch in then!” Charlie chuckled, donning the fireproof hood, his black hat, fireproof sleeves for his wrists, then his gloves. Ben attired himself the same, so did Joel, then they proceeded to connect the hose to the fire hydrant. Charlie asked the owner of the barn if anyone was in the building. 

“Nah, nobody goes in there anymore,” the owner grunted. “shoulda listened to the insurance company and had this torn down.” 

Ben exchanged a glance with Charlie. Famous last words as usual. Often times people were humiliated that their properties caught fire and said all sorts of things to try to save face but the firefighters tuned them out. 

Mechanically the trio went to work, hosing down the embers that had fallen then aiming deeply into the heart of the fire. Joel trudged into the barn carefully, found on one beam marks where the fire had ignited and used the hose to put it completely out. Ben and Charlie walked the perimeter to make sure everything was well and truly put out. 

“Sir, did you have anything combustible in the barn?” Joel asked, walking back to the fire truck. “Any idea on how this started?” 

The owner looked at him and sighed. “Yes. I was smoking back there earlier and must not have stubbed it out properly.” he grew red in the cheeks. 

“Oh well. We got it completely out. Tomorrow you can call the insurance company and file a claim.” 

“Will do.” without a word of thanks the owner walked away. Joel didn’t think twice about it, used to getting the cold shoulder or the brushoff more times than he would have thought possible. 

Sitting on the running board of the engine, he watched Charlie disengage the hose attachment from the fire hydrant, haul the big tool back to the engine and put it away. His coworker brought out a bottle of water for himself, then handed one to Joel. 

“Thanks,” he muttered, taking a swig. “you know sometimes this job is very disheartening.” 

“You mean working for ingrates?” Charlie joined him. Ben was almost done rolling up the hose so they could go. “They’re not why I signed on for this job. People suck.” 

“At least the ungrateful ones suck ass.” there were no other people gawking at the scene so they could speak freely. 

“Well, we have our satisfaction. You know morons like that guy are the reason we’re employed by the town,” Charlie reminded him with a twisted grin. “the whole reason for the fire department at least nowadays is because people are too stupid to keep up with proper cigarette butt disposal or irresponsible cooking.” 

“Yeah,” Joel agreed, taking another haul off his bottle. “how about the girl who got second degree burns heating up honey in a microwave? Dumbass!” 

“You’re telling me! How about that guy who couldn’t get off his phone long enough to realize that his kid was trying to fly by jumping off a shed roof with homemade wings? Unreal!” 

“Guys ready to go?” Ben hefted the smaller fire hose onto the shelf and secured it down. He got behind the wheel this time amid Charlie’s good natured complaining and took them all back to the firehouse. 

The turnout gear was cleaned and put away, they unrolled the hose so it would dry properly before putting it away properly, then did other chores around the firehouse. It was nearly midnight when they went upstairs wearily, ready for some sack time. 

Three hours into their sleep the alarm sounded. 

“Seventy four year old man reporting upper right epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting.” was the call from dispatch. Joel was the assigned paramedic along with Ben to drive so both suited up in their black uniforms with their surnames and the word PARAMEDIC in bright white letters on their backs. Putting on their radios and swinging into the ambulance, Joel drove to the site of the man in distress. 

“Hello?” Joel and Ben had their tackle boxes full of equipment ready. Both of them looked for the man but didn’t see them. 

“Up there!” Ben heard a rapping at a window and pointed upwards. They opened up the door and charged upstairs, seeing an obese man sitting on a couch and holding his side in pain. 

“Hey guys, sorry I had to get you out of bed,” the sheepish looking gentleman apologized. “I’ve been waiting for this to taper off so I can sleep but it seems to get worse.” 

“That’s all right,” Joel’s weariness lifted some. “can you tell us more about the pain you’ve been having?” 

“I sure can! I’ve been having this pain for three hours, been puking my guts out, and this pain is so sharp and crampy.”

“Any pain between the shoulder blades? Does it get worse after you drink alcohol?” Ben checked the man’s vital signs which were a little bit elevated. 

“You guys psychic now?”

Ben chuckled, putting away his penlight. “No but thanks to your expert info we can formulate a diagnosis. I’m glad you appear to be so accurate; it really cuts down on guesswork.” 

“Really? So what’s your diagnosis, gentlemen?” 

“Sounds like gallstones to me,” Joel piped up. “we’d like to take you in for an ultrasound to confirm it.” 

“At the ER they’ll hopefully give me drugs to decrease the pain. All right, I’ll go. Let me get more suitably dressed.” 

“OK, no problem there. We’ll be waiting.” they waited outside the door. 

Joel turned to Ben. “You know his skin was starting to get a little jaundiced. I’m glad he called now before it turned into pancreatitis.” 

“They’ll be able to head that off before it starts.” Ben agreed.


	9. Chapter 9

The summer seemed to fly by fast for everyone; the fire department and paramedics had been treating out of control bonfires, shed fires, heatstrokes, heat exhaustion and the ever prevalent car accidents all the time. The highway out of town people seemed to regard as a freeway and with distracted drivers running rampant, it seemed to Joel that he was scraping dead bodies off the pavement all the time. 

Katherine was frustrated. She had two polite rejections from companies, the teacher’s conference seemed informative at first but then she realized that all the other teachers were judging her for doing voiceover work on the side. Maybe they were jealous that she’d already gotten a little notoriety for her work but the overall tone was complete disapproval. 

She tried to not let it show and did very well until she got home. In the garage Katherine backed in her car, then picked up a small terra cotta pot and threw it at the concrete, shattering it. 

“Who in the hell do they think they ARE?!” she barked out. “Treating me like a leper for daring to have a side job! So I don’t like teaching anymore but I still do it! They should be glad I’m still dedicated!” 

Katherine realized then she had a long cut running about four inches down her right arm, swore, then went into the house to doctor her cut. She taped a length of gauze over the cut and forgot about it, getting supper ready. Mick purred next to her, eyes lit up at the thought of food. 

“Beat it, furry one. I hope Joel’s having a better night than me.” school was going to start in three days’ time so they were going to spend the last two nights they had together going camping in the woods. 

**

Joel wasn’t having a good night either. He had gotten called out to a fairly remote part of town where he found an elderly woman living by herself. Her name was Lena, she was 90 years old and had nobody around to check in on her. The police did a wellness visit as requested by the nearest neighbor a few miles away, then requested a paramedic screen her and make sure that she was all right to be left alone. 

What he found was a lady who was a prisoner in her own chair, highly confused and covered with bedsores. Her pulse was weak, she was severely dehydrated, but she seemed to be a pleasant enough lady. 

“So what’s going on, Lena? You’re covered with bedsores and it doesn’t look like you’ve been eating or drinking anything.” 

“No, that’s overrated,” she said airily, trying to wave him away. “I’m on borrowed time as it is being this old.” 

“Don’t you have any family that can take you in? I don’t think you should be by yourself.”

“My family disowned me for being a burden on them,” Lena snapped angrily. “I have no wish to burden anyone with my presence.” 

Joel could not respond to that as he mechanically finished taking her blood pressure. He went outside for a moment, feeling that woman’s negative energy trying to infect him, then summoned Charlie. His coworker’s blasé friendliness might be the thing to persuade the woman to get up and be taken in for treatment. 

“Charlie, you’re on with her. Obstinate old lady who doesn’t want to move. I can’t get her to do anything.” 

“What does she need?” Charlie got out of the ambulance. 

“She needs rehydration, at least a few days’ worth and needs to be treated for massive bedsores. She’s been off her medication for three weeks for all sorts of problems. Hates her family so I don’t know who her proxy would be.” 

“Depressed?”

“I’d say very but I’m not a psych.” 

“Right. I’ll see what I can do.” Charlie had a method of fast talking people that was truly impressive to watch. He boisterously greeted the old lady while keeping up a nonstop stream of chatter designed to baffle her into obedience. He threw in some flattery when he saw she was going to attempt to resist and before she knew it she was getting up off the chair and onto the gurney. 

Joel strapped her in, Charlie kept in her view, keeping up the chatter while they took her into the ambulance. Joel would need to corroborate the policeman’s account of where the old lady was living and agree that she couldn’t live there alone anymore. Charlie could attest to that as well. 

Getting an IV into Lena would be a challenge as dehydration made veins collapse. If necessary he could try through the bones but did not want to do it. The simplest way would be if she orally drank enough to make the veins show up. Joel didn’t think that she would do that and she hadn’t signed off on the consent to treat forms so all they could do was take her in. 

“It’s not as simple as you think, young man,” Lena told him. “there’s no time for me anymore.” 

“What?” 

“No time. I’m 90 years old now and the grave is calling me.” Joel shook his head. Was she raving? “My life is done and I’m ready to go.” 

“You know, you can have a better quality of life in a nursing home. You’d meet people there.” 

Lena shook her head. “Your own mortality creeps up on you over time and you become a silly old fool like me. Your consolation is you have time on your side.” 

Joel didn’t know what to say. He knew older people faced obstacles differently than most younger generations yet they usually had families on their sides to help them. Lena was old and bitter at herself for getting old and at her family for disowning her as a burden. He was ethically forbidden from making any nonmedical judgment calls; there was two sides to every story but he gave the benefit of the doubt. 

“My resolution is to make the most of it.” was all he could say. 

Lena gave him an actual smile. “I’m glad to hear that.” 

“So it was 3 weeks ago you stopped your medication? Why?” the paramedic tried to redirect the conversation. 

“The answer is quite simple,” Lena shut her eyes. “I lost my will to live.” 

Joel could not reply to that. Lena assured him she had a DNR and an advance directive, told him to enjoy his life while he was young and happy, then closed her eyes, overwhelmed with the activity. 

Charlie pulled into the ambulance zone, they got a fresh set of vitals off the old woman, then saw her put into a private room. 

“Take good care of her,” his heart went out to Lena. “she can still have good care in a nursing home.” 

The nurse sighed, having seen many cases like her. “We will do what we can but in the end it’s all up to her.” 

“She told me she lost her will to live.” the nurse paled. 

“Once they’re set on a course it’s hard to deviate them.” 

On that gloomy note Joel and Charlie left to go back to the firehouse; Charlie didn’t even have the heart to engage in his usual chatty banter. 

The firefighter knew that the end of the summer was fast approaching; he and Katherine had a great time attending stock car races, hiking in the woods, going boating many times. He had helped her do some landscaping at her house, she had taught him more piano and Joel had taught her how to properly cook. Once Katherine had taken him into the studio and played drums for him one enjoyable night where they went back to his place. 

The two of them liked sitting around a small fire pit, drinking beers and just talking until the bugs got to be too much and they had to retreat inside. 

Back at the firehouse Charlie talked with Ben about their case a little bit while Joel plopped on the recliner, rubbing his eyes and closing them. 

“That’s just the way some people are,” Ben said dismissively, putting groceries away. “it won’t do to think on it or it’ll drag you down.” 

“How long you been in the field?” Charlie sat at the bar. “Remind me again.” 

“You and Joel have about ten, twelve years between you two. I’ve been working here for almost 16 years. Every time I’d like to say I’ve seen it all I really haven’t. Just don’t let the cases interfere with your inner psyche. You do the best you can with what you’ve got where you are.” Ben shut the cupboard doors and put the canvas grocery bag on a peg in the wall. 

“Just-do any of those cases have a happy ending?” 

“Define happy,” Ben put his hands on the countertop and leaned over to look at Charlie a little more intensely. “I’ve seen people keep their loved one on life support for years without any kind of change. If you ask me it would have been more merciful to give them a peaceful end and not cling to hopes in vain. There are cases where it is just selfish to keep someone alive to just to assuage another one’s guilt in not being there to care for them before whatever crisis happened.” 

“Long story short we hope we had a positive impact on the old lady but that’s all down to how she thinks of it.” 

“Exactly. Think nothing more of it. She may have seen the light in a sense, you guys might have given her a renewed interest in life or she might become more defiant and just die. It’s an even chance and we stay out of it.” 

“All right, all right. I’m beat. I need a nap.” Charlie rubbed his eyes and went into the living room. Joel was already sound asleep and it wasn’t long before Charlie followed him. 

**

After a hectic night with many accidents and a few fires, Joel was about ready to drop from fatigue. He muttered his goodbyes to Charlie and Ben, texted Katherine that he would be going home to sleep before doing anything else. She acknowledged that, telling him to go home and not worry about her. The tired paramedic did just that, getting on home, stumbling upstairs and collapsing in bed. 

“Hmm..” Katherine tapped her phone against the slat of her cheek wonderingly. They were supposed to go camping in the Stonehaven state park but with Joel being too tired to hike in and set up they would never make it there in time to camp out happily and enjoy a few nights under the stars. “well, maybe I can salvage this. He has all the tent stuff and I know where it is.” 

Katherine packed up her “Joel bag” as she called it now, tossing two outfits in, her purple robe, the toiletry bag. She put in her cell phone and charger, laid out food for Mick, then locked up her house tightly. 

“Least this time I take my car.” smirking she got into the Volkswagen, pulled into the street and headed over to Joel’s house. 

Pulling into the driveway Katherine parked in the turnaround spot and hauled her things into the house. Joel had given her a key so she got in without a problem, went upstairs and checked on Joel. The firefighter was sleeping very soundly, splayed out in the bed with rumpled sheets everywhere. Smiling to herself Katherine smoothed everything out, making sure he wouldn’t get tangled up, then kissed his cheek affectionately. 

“My honey.” was all she said. With the wheels turning in her head she went back downstairs, pulled out a few big foam mattresses, the sleeping bags, and erected a small two person neon green tent. It took her a few hours to get everything all set up but when she was done she put a small geranium in a pot, putting it beside the Adirondack chair. 

Next she went to the grocery store to make a traditional camping spread; hot dogs and the classic s’mores. Katherine returned within the hour, had lunch herself, then looked in on Joel again. 

“Aw, babe,” she could see from a distance that he was dreaming and it didn’t look like a good one from the way his eyes moved underneath their lids or the moans he was issuing. “bad dreams..” Katherine sat on the edge of the bed, hoping he didn’t wake up, then very gently put her hand to his cheek. The teacher continued to stroke his cheek and his hand until he started to relax. 

“It’s all right, honey,” she breathed into his ear. “restful sleep now.” Joel responded to her and sank back into deeper sleep with a sigh. Katherine smiled happily, then got up and left the room. 

“What do I do for an afternoon? I can get a start on my lesson plan for the first week of school..” she had brought her briefcase with her so Joel’s kitchen table became her office for the afternoon. 

**

Around sunset Katherine looked up from her books and saw that it was time to get outside and start cooking outdoors. It was almost 6 and Joel didn’t look like he was going to wake up any time soon but she did not want to disturb him so she resigned herself to going solo for supper like dinner. 

Joel woke up at about 6:30, rubbed his eyes and checked his alarm clock. “Damn! I slept that long? Katherine’s gonna kill me.” he grabbed for his phone but saw a bag sitting near his bureau. He knew it was Katherine’s and wondered what she was up to now. The groggy firefighter put on shorts and a t-shirt, went out into the front yard and had to smile. 

Katherine was sitting cross legged on a cushion off of the Adirondack chair, making s’mores. She paused in mid assembly and looked up at Joel in surprise. “Awake finally! So how’d you sleep?” 

“Better I think. I had some horrible dreams then they just petered out. Do you know something about it?” he sat down next to her. 

“Around lunchtime you didn’t look like you were having happy dreams so I soothed you a little bit.” 

“Aw, thank you.” Joel kissed her. 

“So, you want supper or dessert first?” 

“Oh, pass me one of them!” Katherine did so happily. “So you decided to bring camp to us?” 

“Look, I know we both wanted to head to the state park but when you’re tired it can’t be helped. Especially after a hectic 24 hours from what I’ve heard.” Joel’s face seemed to darken as the memory of Lena threatened to surface. 

“You’re upset, Joel. What is it?” she put her hand on his. 

“I remembered that poor woman,” the firefighter told her about Lena. “I think that’s the most upsetting thing. I put people back together and put fires out but when someone intentionally commits or tries to commit suicide it’s the worst thing someone can do.” 

“I agree,” Katherine rubbed his back slowly. “it’s a permanent solution to a very temporary problem. That old lady was feeling like a burden to everyone around her and she also felt ignored. Everyone wants to be loved, Joel.” she rubbed at the white scar on the underside of her left wrist, deciding that now would be a good time to tell him her little secret. 

Just then Joel’s phone buzzed. A text from Ben told him all he needed to know. “Lena’s dead. She died of heart failure. Guess she got what she wanted after all.” despite his best efforts he felt a tear spring up to his eye and fall down his face. Katherine dabbed it away, feeling her protective instinct kick on. 

“Aw babe, you did all you could,” she tried to console him. “she was too far gone when the cop found her.” 

Joel found himself getting angry but politely asked her to stop with the platitudes. “Katherine, can I have a moment?”

“Sure, hon.” she had to give him some distance to console himself first. The teacher got up and put her briefcase back together, putting it next to the door so she would be able to find it later on. Katherine got into her pajamas and went back outside, tactfully lingering by the door with a beer bottle in one hand. 

“Want a drink, Joel?” 

“Sure please.” he held out his hand, wiping his eyes. Katherine gave him the bottle and a tissue. The firefighter mopped at his face, throwing the tissue into the fire pit while Katherine gathered up her courage and began to tell a story to him. 

“You know when my parents died I mentally went to pieces,” she began. “I didn’t talk to anyone, nobody talked to me, I considered myself invisible to everyone’s eyes. I was living alone at that point, too numb with grief to do much of anything. I had to ask Uncle Jack to help me out a few times. I got depressed, slid down that depression rabbit hole where nothing else mattered. Just like Lena I quit taking my medicine. I wanted to die, to be with family that loved me. Quite frankly the living had nothing to offer me.” 

Joel’s head snapped up hearing this. He never would have guessed it. 

Katherine turned her head to meet his gaze. “I was overwhelmed with my anxiety and depression and began to waste away. This was before I was diagnosed with Crohn’s so I was in chronic pain at the time. I looked upon death as a release; it would release me from my pain and suffering. I bet that’s how Lena felt too.” 

“I never thought of it like that before,” Joel admitted. “what happened then?” 

“I tried to accelerate the process,” willingly Katherine showed him the mark on the inside of her left wrist. “I didn’t have the courage to follow through either. I collapsed then turned up in the hospital.” 

“You were living alone; who called?” the firefighter pulled her into his arms. 

“I don’t know. I never found out and you know the rest of the story.” 

“Maybe that’s what Lena really wanted; a release from the body that was starting to fail her.” 

“If you understand that one little thing about her does it make sense now?” 

“I think so. She was never a bad person so this helps. My question is for you.” 

“Yeah?” Katherine was starting to get sleepy. 

“How did you get through it?” 

“My uncle. He was the rock I needed at the time to get through all my ailments and whatnot. He gave me everything that I needed and eventually I could stand on my own.” 

All was silent except for the chirping of crickets and the occasional snap from the fire. Joel leaned down and kissed Katherine fiercely. She returned it in exactly the same manner, then he raised up her left wrist and kissed the scar. The night became dreamlike to the teacher as she felt her eyes well up a little bit at the touch. 

“I think we’ve had some revelations tonight,” Joel said finally. “how about we hit the sack?” 

“Let’s finish the beer first.” they took turns finishing it off then Joel doused the fire pit fire, scattering dirt all over it to make sure it was properly out. Katherine had to smile as she stood next to the tent, unzipping the flap. 

Joel grabbed Katherine and swung her down low, giving her a deep kiss. Appreciative of his gesture she put her arms around his neck and gave him all her passion. When he swung her back up his eyes were bright and she was blushing. 

“I think we better hit the sack. You still look tired from yesterday and my sleeping pill is kicking on.” 

“I am still tired. Thanks for hearing me out.” they got into the small tent, the familiar scratching sound of nylon rustling overhead. It was a hot night so Katherine lay on top of the sleeping bag followed by Joel. 

“Just promise me something,” the firefighter turned to face her. “next time you feel depressed will you talk to me?” 

“Sure,” she replied. “if you’re troubled I demand that you talk to me. Just talking can help save a life.” 

“That may be hard for me to do; I tend to internalize.” 

“Just start talking to me.” Katherine closed her eyes. Joel waited a few minutes but when nothing further was said he guessed she was asleep. Reaching over he brushed a strand of hair away from her face, kissed her lips and went to sleep as well. 

**

Katherine was awakened by the feeling of someone touching his lips to hers. Knowing who it was but pretending not to rouse right away. Joel had to smirk, sensing she was playing dumb in order for him to step up his game. Slyly he passed a hand down her thigh, reaching her crotch and inserting a few fingers up inside her. She responded, letting out a dirty filthy moan that he’d never heard from her before. 

“I can work with that.” he mounted her like a cowboy would mount a horse and began to work her over fully. Katherine opened up her eyes and hungrily kissed Joel, savoring him like she could never get enough of him. 

“Some morning nooky is very much wanted today.” the teacher moaned, running her hands all over her boyfriend. “I always feel better when I’m with you.” 

“Goes both ways.” he kissed her and they got down to business. 

After they were done, Joel and Katherine went up to shower and change. They spent the morning working in the garden, went for a swim, then came back for lunch. Katherine studied Joel as she drank some water, thinking it had been late April when she met him, now it was late August. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

“Not much lately,” she had to smile. “I’m frustrated because I got passed up for two jobs that would have been national like the last one.” 

“It will bite you on the ass and you’ll be ready for it; that perfect golden opportunity.” he encouraged her. 

“Thanks, babe. So are you out tomorrow at 7 AM?” 

“Yes indeed. Are you all right, Katherine? You look a little pale.” 

“I do? Must be the anemia. I’ll get a blood count done on it and we can see how bad it is this time.” 

“This time? What do they do about it? Iron pills?”

“Ugh no. Constipation city. I get infusions instead. They’re long lasting and they look like bags of rust.” 

Joel laughed. “What kind of effect do they have on you? Do they energize you at all?”

“Ugh no. They knock me down and out. I get 2 infusions a week apart and they last a long time.” 

“Oh I see. You know what I just realized; the Fireman’s Ball is coming up in October and we don’t know how to dance.” 

“You mean you don’t know how to dance,” Katherine stood up and put on some music, extending her hand to Joel. “my parents gave me ballroom dancing lessons when I was ten. I loved it and it tied in with me learning piano and drums. “come here and I’ll show you all you need to know.” 

“You’re full of surprises aren’t you?” the firefighter remarked, taking her hand. “All right, mistress of the dance floor, show me your stuff!” 

Katherine directed him on how to do a simple cha cha, instructing him to listen to the tempo of the song and match his moves with it. He did it clumsily, knowing that he lacked coordination in the dance department but put his best effort into it. 

“All right, we’re going to call that a day!” Katherine clapped her hands. “My feet are bruised now!” 

“Did I get you? Sorry.” 

“You’re fine, hot stuff. A few more lessons and I think that you’ll be pretty good on the dance floor,” she was lying through her teeth. Several dance lessons would get him to mediocre which was what she could hope for but he needed more guidance than what she could do. “practice if you can.” 

“So when’s the first day of school?” 

“In two days. It’s going to be hell with screaming kids to get back under control but it’s easier than teaching the older kids. The school goes up to eighth grade and the older kids made me nervous.” 

“Why? Because of all the school shootings and such?” 

“Yeah. I just don’t feel safe in the eighth grade wing.” 

“I understand that but I know that security is tight up there.” he sat on the couch, pulling her in his lap. 

“I know but I have an unfounded fear that something might happen. I have my fears like everyone else.” 

“The great superwoman Katherine has fears?” he teased. 

“Damn right! Car accidents, shooting rampages, parking garages and spiders!” 

“You’re afraid of spiders?” he made a face.

“Why do you think I’m dating you then? I need a guy to kill them for me!” she laughed and kissed him. 

“What happens when I’m not around? Stand on a chair and scream?”

“Oh fuck off!” 

“Aw come here babe,” Katherine had gotten off his lap and pretended to walk away but Joel grabbed her hand and spun her over to face him. “I really appreciate what you turned the past 12 hours into for me. I didn’t think I’d get to see you at all but I love the fact you brought the camp to me. I’m also happy you shared the secret of your scar and gave me a deeper understanding of the old lady’s mind. You are incredible and I’m lucky to have you.” 

“I’m so lucky to have you in my life. My Uncle Jack said there would be someone like you waiting for me. I feel like I can open up to you and not be judged for it.” 

“What other secrets do you have?”

“I can hotwire a car and turn it off without a key.” 

“Oh..” he touched her nose to his and they giggled.


	10. Chapter 10

Katherine was awakened at 6 AM by the sun peering into the eastern window of her room. She got up, showered, applied makeup, then got into her school clothes. It was time for her conservative outfits once again so she put on a knee length skirt in burgundy, a white button up shirt and black pumps. Checking herself in the mirror she put on a pair of gold hoop earrings with a thin golden chain around her neck. 

Briefcase in hand, Katherine fed Mick, got into the car and drove to work. She parked in the lot and was walking to the school when Joel surprised her at the staff door with a small bouquet of flowers. 

“Oh, what’s this?” she smelled the carnations eagerly, smiling at Joel’s bright blue eyes watching her every move. He looked like a little boy trying to score points with a teacher on the first day. Maybe that’s what he was going to do with her, Katherine supposed. She could hope. 

“Thought I’d surprise you on your first day of school,” he teased, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “start a new tradition or something like that.” 

“I’d kiss you but I’m wearing lipstick. Aw hell!” she rubbed it off then gave Joel a long kiss. “You’re so thoughtful!” she shut her eyes, twirling a little lock of his hair, admiring the way the morning light shone into the brown and brought out the red highlights. 

“Yes indeed I am,” Joel gave her a hug. “how about a date tonight, eh?” 

“Just tell me where and when. I’ll go anywhere with you.” 

“How about tonight at 6 in the Irish pub Flaherty’s?” 

“I’m game. How did you know I’m Irish?” 

“Your temper.” 

“Oh you bastard,” Joel tickled her cheek with his own, pulling apart then grinning widely at her. “I’ll be there singing your name.” 

“How about we do that later? I go on shift tomorrow but there’s no reason we can’t screw around tonight.” 

“Sure but waiting the whole day for you is going to feel like forever,” Katherine play whined. “I’d take you now if I could.” 

“Well, how long before your pupils come in?” 

“Half an hour.” 

“I parked my car behind that dumpster over there. How about a quickie?” 

“I shouldn’t in case any teachers come in.” 

“Just come with me for a minute.” Joel took her hand and steered her to his Explorer. Once he got her inside the SUV he drove to a nearby vacant lot, backed into a shady spot then turned to her with a wolfish grin on his face. “Now we can do our quickie without any problems.” The two of them put down the backseat without an issue, Joel lay down with Katherine in his arms and hiked up her skirt. 

“Oh this is great! I’ll be smiling all day now!” Joel laughed and kissed Katherine, unzipping himself. 

“Here goes!” Katherine felt him slide into her easily as she kept her skirt up. The firefighter laughed at her happily, enjoying making his woman feel like a lady. 

With less than ten minutes to spare Joel brought Katherine back to her car, offered to put the flowers in a vase in her house for her. “I’d love that.” 

“Say we didn’t boink during your fertile time did we?” the firefighter loved that silly term for having sex. Charlie used it a lot in the firehouse and really enjoyed watching Ben and Joel grimace with extremely graphic depictions of sex. 

“Um,” Katherine checked her phone. “we might have.. you and I have been going at it like a pair of wild animals. I’m surprised that I’m not pregnant yet to be honest. Let me see,” she went through the app, checking the dates. “I’m supposed to get my monthly today.” 

“OK. I’ll go with that.” quite frankly he was surprised he hadn’t gotten Katherine pregnant yet as well. His eyes traveled over her body, mentally imagining undressing her again but he had to keep a clear head and keep himself together now that they were in public. The teachers and school board were notorious gossips and if any mention of Katherine being promiscuous came to their notice they wouldn’t hesitate to fire her. There was a strict moral code in place apparently. 

“Time for me to go so I’ll see you tonight at Flaherty’s.” they kissed goodbye. 

**

During the day Katherine did her job, but her mind was awash with thoughts of Joel. She would love to have his child and she wouldn’t put any idea of marriage into his head. Neither one of them really wanted to get married; they would take a big tax hit and both made more money without being married. They wanted to keep all their money so getting taxed for being married made the idea less desirable for them. Katherine’s Uncle Jack had always told her there was no harm in her being a long term girlfriend instead of wife; all that was missing was a very expensive formality. 

While her pupils were at lunch Katherine sat at her desk, texting Joel and inwardly thinking that it would be nice if she got pregnant at some point. At that moment she was adjusting the belt on her skirt when she let her hand creep down a little lower, hoping that she wouldn’t get her period that month. She hadn’t lied to Joel; her monthly was due to show up but there was no sign of it yet. 

“Miss Maguire and the fireman sittin’ in a tree!” the kindergarten trooped in from lunch singing the ever popular teasing song. Katherine smiled thinly, directing the kids to take their seats. 

The morning kindergarten kids were dismissed at noon, Katherine seeing them all onto the buses. A different teacher took the afternoon class while Katherine taught music for the first and second grades. She also taught science to the third grade kids that year and she had to admit that she liked the older kids better. They were smart as whips and eager to learn, whereas very young kids could not be kept under control for long. Katherine secretly wanted to slap a few of them for mouthing off, wondering where they had been taught such language but could not do it obviously. 

“And there’s the bell!” the last bell of the day rang, causing all the kids to fly off of their seats and out of the door. The teacher chuckled to herself as she got her gear together and walked out to her car. 

It was too early to go and see Joel so Katherine checked in at home, dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers, took her makeup off, etc. Mick was fed, all work was done so Katherine went into the studio to take another shot at auditioning. 

Three requests had come into her email; two for regional ads and one national ad for a up and coming car model. Katherine composed a short tune for the two regional ads, paired her vocals with each one, then gave long and hard consideration for the car ad. She picked out the features of the car that she liked a lot, composed a deep and sultry tone for the music and put herself into the mindset to sing. Mentally she thought of herself and Joel in the bedroom, starting to sing with a low husky tone to start then it got broader and gradually higher like she was experiencing an orgasm. 

At the peak of the song she let her voice ring out loud and true, showing off all of her vocal skills she was capable of. Katherine saved the video of her singing and the audio, submitting it for an audition to the car company. If they used her jingle she could release the making of video for another chunk of change which would generate more interest in the car. 

“Please let this one win!” she crossed her fingers before hitting send. 

Before leaving to meet Joel the teacher went to the bathroom, checking for her period but nothing happened. Apparently the well was dry and she began thinking of the possibility of pregnancy a little apprehensively. 

“Well, I’d like to be a mom but I also want to work. We’d have to live together in his house, I’ll work at my job unless I become a full time voiceover artist, then things would be different. Anyway he can help look after the baby while he’s off shift at the firehouse.” Katherine worried. 

“I might be making a big deal out of nothing though. I could get it later tonight. I have to wait three days first.” she got up and left the studio. 

**  
At Flaherty’s Joel had gotten a booth seat with lots of privacy in the dim light. The Irish pub used to be a strip joint and the place had a rather shoddy look to it. It was like the owner had lost interest in renovating the property; paint covered the wallpaper leaving obvious outlines of naked girls where the lewd signs had once been. All the stripper poles had been removed at least; there was a live band once a week which added some attractiveness to the place. 

“Katherine!” he called out, signaling her. The firefighter was pleased to see her looking more comfortable in her every day clothes and minimal makeup. Standing up he kissed her happily and handed her a menu. 

“You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” Joel knew her very well. “what’s going on?” 

“I’m probably stressing over nothing,” she warned him. “I didn’t get my monthly today.” 

“So you are a day or two late; it happens.” he shrugged it off. 

“Very true. I find myself overthinking it today and I know I shouldn’t be doing that.” 

“You’ve been dwelling on the what ifs, haven’t you?” 

“Yes I have. You know my dream of being a full time voiceover artist. I probably couldn’t do that if I had a child right now.” 

“I think you should keep going into that dream,” he encouraged her. “I would welcome a child truly, I have always wanted one myself.” 

“Me too but all in good time.” 

“What I would advise is to watch for any symptoms; your sense of smell will get stronger, you’ll probably feel lightheaded a bit, etc. Nausea will be killer.” 

“Not looking forward to it,” she told him with a rueful smile. “maybe the ends justify the means.” 

“Let me know if after 3 days you still haven’t gotten your monthly. We can go in together if need be, to the doctor’s office.” 

“Oh that reminds me I had the blood test for anemia and my GI doc says I need an infusion. I’ve managed to get the first one on Friday afternoon so I can lie around and be a slug without it interfering in school.” 

“It zaps your energy, huh?” the waiter took their order. 

“Yes it does. If you come and visit me don’t be alarmed if I faint. It’s just the reaction that I have.” 

“All right. So that’s this Friday?” 

“Yeah.” he put his hand over hers. 

“On the weird side a top up of your iron reserves could make any pregnancy signs more obvious.” 

“Well there’s a kind of reassuring comment!” Katherine laughed. 

Back at her place for the night after their sexual adventures in bed, Katherine fell asleep due to her sleeping pill which left Joel awake to contemplate their future. He’d heard from Ben that his ex girlfriend was coming to town to visit relatives and he worried that Christina might jeopardize his future with Katherine. 

Christina was very intelligent, but she was also cunning and manipulative. He’d already been through it once with her before and was resolved to be on his guard. Katherine must not get the wrong idea in case Christina tried to get back with him. His ex was a lawyer who knew how to game the system; her corrupt ideals of ethics made her a very popular one with a law firm. Joel had met Christina when he was taking advanced training in New Hampshire and they’d gone out for about 4 months in total.

She had been so subtle in manipulating him at first but when he’d confessed his girl problems to some of his friends they saw right through her. Joel became more aware of how she played the game to get what she wanted and he had to be very aware that she was speaking out of both sides of her mouth. If she did anything harm Katherine he’d never forgive himself. 

The clock radio struck 11:30. He needed to good night’s sleep in order to be on his toes for his shift tomorrow. Subconsciously he put a hand on her pelvis, hoping that she was in face pregnant. He’d love nothing more than to raise a child with the woman he cherished and loved so much. 

**  
Six AM came and with it Joel woke up blearily. Glancing down underneath the covers he saw his hand was still on her pelvis and he thought nothing more of sliding down to put his hands in her crotch. Playfully he held her hips, looking at her surgery scar, now on its way of becoming a white line, then bringing both of his hands down to her pelvis like he was checking for something. Kissing her pelvis, Joel brought one hand down to her clit, fingering it slowly at first. 

Katherine may still have been asleep but her body responded automatically, getting nice and wet for him. He wasn’t going to penetrate her while she was asleep, or was he? Katherine would not mind at all so he angled himself with her, a hard on already forming, and eased himself into her wet slit. It was like she was made just for him, feeling her textured inside contract around him. So he didn’t disturb her, Joel tried to keep his thrusting a little less enthusiastic than usual but it didn’t take long for him to cum. 

“Let’s see that make a mom out of you,” he whispered to himself. “I don’t want to take myself out.” the firefighter reluctantly had to, checking himself out for any bit of blood but nothing of that nature was to be found. Katherine still hadn’t cum herself so Joel reached for her clit then realized she was reaching down herself to rub it, her eyelids still closed. He rubbed it for her, sticking a few fingers up inside her, then felt her orgasm on his first two fingers. 

“Well, wake up now, Miss Maguire,” Joel teased, one hand on her belly while he leaned up to kiss her. “you’ve had some horny dreams.” 

“Yeah, I know who’s responsible for that one,” Katherine moaned happily. “you’ve got your hand on my scar.. are you imagining the possibilities?” 

“Maybe. It’s time to get up. I gotta be at the fire station by 7.” the two of them got up out of the bed, donning their robes as they went out into the hall. 

“Yes, Joel,” she grabbed her towel from the linen closet and handed him one. “I swear that if you haven’t put a baby up me by now I’ll have to wonder. We’ve fucked at every point in my cycle for the past six months!” 

“Don’t think too much on it,” Joel warned, knowing she was obsessing again. “just enjoy the process.” 

“Oh I will.” 

With their shower done, Liz dressed in black pants, the same white button up shirt and black and white jewelry. Joel got into his navy uniform and had to smile as she leaned into the mirror, putting on her makeup. 

“Put that much makeup on and your eyelid’s gonna fall off.” he gave her a the cardinal mug full of hot coffee. Joel couldn’t see any of the makeup she was wearing at all which he supposed was the point of it. 

“At least I’ll look pretty.” Katherine batted her eyelashes on him, happy with the subtle job she had done on her eyes. 

“Do you really see yourself as pretty with this gunk on you?” Joel couldn’t care less what Katherine looked like; he thought of her as a hottie without all the makeup. 

“It’s not so much that but every day is a new challenge on how to make myself look good.. How can I explain it?” 

“Try.” he dared her to with a laugh, snatching a big brush. 

“My face is like a blank canvas and my makeup are my paints. I create a look everyday with my arsenal and you’ll notice my makeup is very light. I’m ninety percent moisturizer and ten percent actual makeup. Putting some makeup on also gives me confidence that I look good and am equal to any occasion that might arise.” 

“Oh you’re more than equal for the occasions I’ve helped you to arise on,” he kissed her laughingly. “so what does lipstick say about you?” 

“Well, the color draws attention to my lips and to you I’m inviting you to think about kissing them.” 

“So why aren’t you putting any on?” 

“Because I learned my lesson yesterday and I won’t put any on until I’m inside the school and you’re on your way to the firehouse. I only want to put it on once.” she dropped the brush with a clatter into the little box with her makeup. Compared to most girls Katherine owned an eyeshadow color box, eye brushes, a silver and black eyeliner pencil, a brush for her lashes, standard black mascara and two lipsticks; one red and one blue-pink. It was very minimal compared to the average girl’s makeup arsenal and Joel was impressed. 

“You don’t do foundation and contouring?”

“Nope. Takes too long.” she put her blue pink lipstick into her pocket, put on her black boots and picked up her purse. 

“Time to go I guess.” Joel pretended to look downcast, shuffling towards the door which earned him a laugh and a swat on the butt from Katherine. They kissed goodbye at the garage door and took off for work. 

**

The fire department was busy all that day; a few car crashes, fires from a couple of old sheds, even a gas leak from one of the big industrial complexes near the hospital. Joel was ready to pack up from the gas leak, having finally gotten it fixed, when a circuit board at Fletcher Field overheated and shorted out, causing an electrical fire. 

“Shit!” Joel grabbed a canister of dry chemicals that would put it out. He readjusted his mask, put his gloves back on and charged in being followed by Charlie. The two of them found the breakers, hosed down the sputtering sparks with the chemicals and managed to douse the fire before it got out of control. “Where do we go now?”

“You’re on paramedic shift for tonight!” Charlie took the canister from Joel as they went back upstairs. “I don’t envy you at all. People are still being airheads and it’s the full moon tonight. Have fun with that!” 

“Oh you bastard.” 

When they got back at the firehouse Ben had already parked the engine and they hosed it down thoroughly, washing down and rubbing out any water marks that appeared. A familiar Volkswagen pulled into the parking lot and a grinning Katherine appeared with a white bag in one hand. 

“Well, that’s the first time she’s come here,” Charlie noticed. “maybe she got something for us!” 

“Oh just maybe she did,” Katherine heard him. “where is that cute studly boyfriend of mine?”

“I’m right here,” Charlie teased. “he’s out in the garage with Ben. So what did you get us?”

“I heard you guys all like Chinese so go for it.” she put the bag on the bar. Charlie put out plates and forks then dove right in. Katherine walked into the garage, her boots clicking on the floor, sneaking up on Joel. Ben saw her but didn’t give her away, keeping completely normal. 

“Whoa!” Joel turned around to see Katherine behind him, having given him a little goose. “What are you doing here?” 

“I brought supper for you guys.” 

“Oh, thank you love. Want a tour?” 

“If we can make it short; I have to get to the studio.” 

“Someone take you up on a jingle?” they went back into the kitchen area. Charlie and Ben tore into the spread; Joel served himself before they left him with nothing. 

“I haven’t heard yet. I submitted a tune for a new car model that’s being released in a week or so and I’m really eager to hear what they think.” 

“Oh, good luck to you then,” Ben sat down next to Charlie. “I hope it works and we can hear your lovely voice singing on the TV.” 

“Thanks, Ben. I made a making of video so if I get this spot I can release the video and create more interest in the car.” 

“What kind of car?” 

“Can’t tell ya. All the voiceover work I do is conducted under nondisclosure or ND agreements.” 

“Party pooper!” Charlie whined playfully. 

“So, the tour?” Joel took her hand and showed her upstairs. The firehouse didn’t have poles much to Katherine’s disappointment but she did enjoy learning more in depth about the firehouse. Joel took her to the garage, showed her his locker which had a picture of her taped on it and Charlie’s graffiti which spelled out lover boy. 

“You’re a good old fashioned lover boy!” she quoted Freddie Mercury. “It’s a good ragtime tune; you should listen to it sometime.” 

“I will.” 

“Hey you play piano, right?” Charlie called to Katherine. 

“I do.” 

“I forgot! There’s a keyboard here but nobody can play it. It’s old though.” 

Joel watched her for a long moment. Katherine checked her phone which said no new emails, meaning that the car company hadn’t gotten back to her yet. She looked depressed for a brief second before reminding herself that marketing firms took awhile to respond to anyone at anytime for anything. He was going to say something but Katherine masked over her inner thoughts without thinking twice and told Charlie to lead her to the keyboard. 

“Oh this looks interesting.” the generic piano keyboard had a little dust on it which Charlie removed, turning it on for her. 

“Let’s play something you’ll all recognize,” positioning her fingers Katherine played the theme to Charlie Brown. “don’t tell me you don’t know this one!” 

After a moment of that, Katherine thought for a moment then played the opening to a favorite of hers, Somebody To Love. “Come on you three! I need somebody to love, I need somebody to love..” 

Katherine played several bits of other songs on the keyboard until the alarm blared on over their enjoyment rather rudely. “Motorcycle accident, 24-year-old man and 26-year-old female, no helmets, reports fractured limbs.” 

“And stupidity strikes again,” Joel hauled on his radio followed by Ben. “you lucked out tonight, Charlie.” 

“You mean I get to stay with your girlfriend while you’re gone?!” Charlie squeaked. 

“Still going to the studio to check my messages,” Katherine said apologetically. “great to see you guys again.” she saw Joel off in the ambulance along with Ben, helped Charlie box up the remains of supper and put it in the refrigerator. 

“All silliness aside I’m glad that Joel has you. He’s been without a good lady for so long. It’s like he’s been reborn since he met you.” the firefighter said unexpectedly, dropping his bubbly exterior. Katherine listened to him, learning that Joel was usually the quiet type of person with few exceptions which wasn’t a big deal to her but the change since he’d met her sounded pretty profound. Without saying so she understood that she’d been responsible for a big change in Joel’s personality and he was looking at the world now through the eyes of love. 

“It’s also the same with me,” she told Charlie. “I’m not really a quiet person by nature but I think after my divorce I was pretty jaded by my views that guys are assholes. In walks this quiet guy with no ulterior motives and I go to pieces. Since I’ve met him I’ve been seeing the world differently too. It means a lot to me to have his presence and encouragement there. I’ve felt too depressed and obsolete but once someone starts paying attention to you positively it’s the greatest feeling, second to love of course.” 

“Do you really love him?” 

“I do.” 

“Have you told him yet?” 

“No.” 

“You should!” 

“I think I will very soon, Charlie. I love him and I would give my life for him.” 

“He can’t get enough of you either.” the firefighter assured her. “I have to hit the sack to be ready for any emergencies tonight but I’ll see you around.” 

“Yes you will.” Katherine walked to her car, got in and drove him. Charlie’s words rang in her ears as she petted Mick and undressed for bed. She would never do anything stupid to jeopardize their relationship, she promised herself. Joel was her kind of guy and she would do anything for him. 

**

During the night Joel was called to assist with removing an obese lady from her home. It was the textbook definition of a hoarder’s house; newspapers in giant stacks and lots of shoes everywhere. Trash was bagged and taking up a full room on its own. The lady had called with a complaint of palpitations but she was too big to get down the stairs. With the policemen to help Ben and Joel, they managed to get the lady down into the ambulance without an incident. 

The paramedics hadn’t been to many hoarder houses which Joel was thankful for; he had mild claustrophobia which was only exacerbated in those kind of houses. He wasn’t sure why but he was more thankful than anyone to get out of the house at all. It was a haven for mice and vermin; rotting newspapers and trash which didn’t seem to bother the lady at all. 

“Your blood pressure is pretty high; when was the last time you went to the doctor?” Ben asked, putting the blood pressure cuff away. 

“Oh I don’t bother with them,” the lady rudely dismissed the idea of a doctor with a wave of her hand. “they don’t know nothing!” 

Joel felt his own anger flare up in response but with a glance at Ben it was understood that he would be driving. Doctors don’t know anything? They go through many years of medical school to be trained properly and they don’t know anything compared to the average layperson? They knew a lot more than just a lazy oaf on the couch. Know-it-all types like that woman were irritating at the best and she could die from her own ignorance like many others. 

The anti doctor crowd considered themselves armchair doctors since they could Google their symptoms and accept a diagnosis which made no sense. A search engine couldn’t check their family history or draw their blood. Joel sat in the driver’s seat while Ben asked the lady what she wanted to do. Chances were that she’d go back up to her home and sit in filth but surprisingly she consented to go to the hospital. Either she wanted a real medical evaluation or scoff at them and ignore their advice altogether so she would be confirmed in her view that they didn’t know ‘nothing’. 

Joel put the ambulance in gear while Ben answered the woman’s questions quietly. It was not an emergency so he didn’t need to use the sirens or excessive speed which was a relief. She could be someone else’s problem now. 

**

Friday came creeping along; to Katherine it was always her view that Monday came too quickly and Friday took too long in the work week. She had her infusion scheduled for that day which she wasn’t looking forward to really but she would be able to get out of work early to go and get it done. Gleefully she put her things in the trunk of the car, drove over to the gastroenterologist’s office and checked in at the infusion center. 

“All right, you’ve done the merry infusion dance before, I recognize you.” the nurse performed venipuncture, putting in IV in and infusing the IV iron with saline. Katherine draped herself in a warmed blanket and refused the TV, knowing she would not be conscious long enough to enjoy it. 

“They always knock me out.” meaning the infusion, Katherine put the recliner back and closed her eyes. 

At the same time Joel was almost done his shift, he was helping to turn off a fire hydrant when his foot slipped and he fell on the wet slippery pavement. Ben hauled him up with a muttered swear, sat him down on the running board of the engine and checked him over. “Did you hit your head?” 

“No. I hurt my left arm-whacked it pretty good.” Joel took off his glove and the sleeve so Ben could inspect it. 

“It’s a strain, not too bad. You know what to do.” 

“Oh yes,” Joel knew to ice it down when it hurt and after that apply a little bit of heat. “after this I gotta go check on Katherine.” 

“Can’t keep a good woman down.” Ben’s rare smile flashed. 

The fire engine was returned to the firehouse, Joel grabbed his bag, threw it in the back of his Explorer and went over to Katherine’s house. She had arrived back from her appointment a few hours earlier and he was looking forward to seeing her after a long day. 

“Katherine?” he asked hesitantly, peering into the living room. Darkness had already fallen upon the tiny house and in the half light from the street light not far away Joel could see a darkened form lying not on the couch but on the floor. Curiously he flicked on the light and his heart jumped into his throat. 

“Katherine!”


	11. Chapter 11

The teacher was lying on the floor with Mick sitting on his windowsill, green eyes blinking slowly as if he was bored by the whole scene. Joel picked up Katherine gingerly as his left arm screamed in protest then put her on the couch. He was about to run out and grab his paramedic bag but stopped himself. It wasn’t as bad a he thought; the biggest clue was the cat. 

When Katherine had been sick with an infection from her surgery Mick had been there to greet Joel at the door and meow all the way into the room because he knew something was wrong. Cats were intuitive; this one clearly thought nothing was wrong with Katherine. Of course there was always a chance that the pet was wrong but Joel didn’t think so. 

“She had that infusion today and she warned me that it always made her tired.” he remembered slowly. “She’s not going to remember any of this so I’m just going to put her to bed and make my own way home, how’s that, cat?” Mick bumped the paramedic’s hand as a way of asking for pats. 

“Katherine?” he didn’t want to carry her back to her room but he might have to. “Wake up, babe.” 

She had a hard time rousing to answer him. The infusion she’d been given considerably dulled her senses and Joel didn’t like it. Her reflexes were slow now and it was almost like she’d been sedated. With a little more prodding she blinked slowly, Joel coming into her gaze. 

“Oh Joel,” she moaned. “what happened?” why on earth did her limbs feel so heavy? Katherine brought one hand up to brush aside a strand of hair from her face; even doing that little action made her feel very tired. 

“You tell me. I just found you pretty much unconscious on the floor.” the firefighter felt his heartbeat return to normal while Katherine’s brown eyes gazed at him through half raised lids. 

“Oh. I came straight home and collapsed on the couch for awhile. Can’t think straight right now but I’ll be OK by tomorrow afternoon.” 

“Sure? You can come home with me.” 

“I can’t, hon. Too tired. Feel free to stop by tomorrow afternoon. I should have more energy by then.” 

“OK, I don’t want to push you. Can you get to your room OK?”

“Yeah I can.” Katherine got up, wavering a little bit which caused Joel to put his arm around her waist and steer her into the hall. She felt so dazed and confused which made him start to worry about her health for a minute. “What time is it?” 

“Almost 8.” he checked his watch. 

“I’m going to beat my sleeping pill to the punch,” she took it, changed, then got into bed with a sigh. “I’ll be OK.” the firefighter had his doubts; it was like Katherine was tipsy but not drunk. Her speech was slow and slightly slurred, she blinked lazily. Everything Joel had learned pointed to intoxication or drugs but it was an infusion treatment which had her responding like she was drunk. He shook his head and made a wry face. Katherine had closed her eyes so she didn’t see him. 

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Joel kissed his girlfriend, gave the cat a pat, then left the house. “my poor babe, no energy after that infusion!” he sang out, putting his SUV in gear and driving home. “It’s almost like she had another surgery.” 

Once at home Joel put his overnight bag on the washer, emptied out his clothes and added that to the clothes basket. Going upstairs he gave himself a quick supper, then flung himself on the couch and turned on the TV. 

“And now, that purveyor of all things lewd, Art Thorndike of Bar Harbor and several other places!” a local gossip was saying. “Things have been going rough for the swaggering businessman but after bankruptcy and allegations of abuse from his employees of that location, plus his DUI, plus past history of the money laundering, solicitation and domestic abuse I don’t see his problems going away anytime soon! Art, of Bar Harbor, Dover, South Portland and Bangor properties, was hit with a lawsuit from his employees who had the courage to stand up to the mistreatment! Bravo, peoples! He’s not going to be poor by any means when this is done; Art has two kids by two women, one of which I believe is his girlfriend still. He also pays alimony to his ex wife, who by our recollection, was a really sweet lady and not deserving of him!” 

A commercial played then, leaving Joel to steep in his hatred of Katherine’s ex husband. You could not be rude to the people making you money; that was in business management 101. 

“Back from the break! Now, rumor has it that the ex Mrs. Thorndike is trying to break into a voiceover career! She has already done a TV spot for a cruise line, played here with permish from the firm,” the familiar tune with Katherine’s sweet voice sang out. “and directly from a car company, we can’t say which, has received a tune from the illustrious ex and is in the running to win that national spot! Let’s flood the firm with our requests to heat her beautiful voice again!” 

“Damn straight!” Joel cheered on. 

“But all is not well with the ex Mrs. Rumor reached this host that Art is threatening action against her to have his alimony revoked. She has not been well over the past summer, undergoing surgery for an undisclosed problem. If you ask me, Art wants her out of the picture for good. Everyone watching this needs to surround that diamond in the rough ex Mrs. Thorndike and protect her! When Art makes a threat he follows through!” the host turned serious for a moment. “A good woman like her is hard to find folks, seriously.” 

“Damn right.” Joel agreed. The host of the gossip program said no more and started going on about the latest viral video of the week. 

That night Joel went to bed with his mind buzzing about Katherine. What sort of action was Arthur threatening against her? He was just the type of slimebag who would try to covertly put out a hit on her but Joel hoped he wouldn’t go so far as to do that. At least the police were informed; Joel had a number of work buddies on the local force. 

As he waited for sleep to claim him he thought again about Katherine telling him that there was a possibility that she could be pregnant back on Monday. She hadn’t said anything else about it; she hadn’t been acting differently at all so he assumed that she was simply late by a few days at least. Her monthly must have started up or if it hadn’t she would have told him. 

Wryly he thought the fact that Katherine having a child by a guy she had only known for 7 months would have been almost poetic justice in the face of her ex husband. 

**

The next day Katherine woke up late, almost around 10, then hopped into the shower, crackling with energy. She danced around the kitchen to fix a late breakfast, spoiled and coddled Mick, making him meow with protest as she put him on his windowsill seat. 

“Well, the monthly monster still hasn’t showed up yet so I am going to take a test then if it says nothing I am going to write it off as nothing. Simple yet efficient.” she breezed into the bathroom, stripped off the packaging and took the test. While it was processing she packed her overnight bag for Joel’s place, lay out the cat food for Mick and got her purse off of the desk chair. 

“OK, let’s see what this bugger says,” she picked up the test off the countertop and gasped, dropping the stick on the floor. “my freaking god!” 

A BFP as they called it, Big Fat Positive. Katherine looked like her eyes were bugging out as she mechanically dropped the test in the trash, her mind trying to process what she’d just read. Mick marched into the bathroom and hopped into the tub, staring at her. 

“What is it with you cats and bathtubs?” she stroked his head. “I gotta get going to meet Joel.” 

On the way over to his house her mind was whirring with new thoughts. She was going to have Joel’s child and despite the fact that she really did like the idea of kids with him she wasn’t looking forward to the actual process itself. Katherine worked hard to keep her body in tip top shape and it was all going to mutate or distort into her becoming a raging hormonal monster in a nine month fat suit. 

“God I don’t know if I’m going to be able to handle it! I hope I’m one of the lucky ones that doesn’t have a lot of puking in the mornings. Yuck!” she let off of the brake and gently stepped on the gas. 

Joel was waiting for Katherine a little hesitantly, hoping that she would be all right to drive. She had sent him a text saying that she was coming but he hoped she wasn’t underestimating herself.

Finally she pulled into the turnaround, grabbed her bag and walked into the house, going upstairs to find Joel sitting on the couch and waiting for her, flipping TV channels lazily. It was a bit of a humid day so he’d turned on the air conditioner. Glancing over at her from the TV, Joel could tell that she wasn’t feeling like her normal self but he wanted to bring her up to speed on her ex husband. 

“Babe, come have a seat,” he gestured. Katherine put her bag down and sat down next to Joel on the couch, not sure what he was going to say. “I heard something on the gossip channel last night about your ex husband.” 

“Art? What about him?” 

“He’s facing charges from a hotel property’s employees of mistreatment and that property is bankrupt.” 

Katherine laughed. “This is the best news ever! That asshole finally gets what’s coming to him!” 

“He’s still got other properties and he’s by no means less rich but what the gossip host said was kind of chilling and it involves you.” 

“If it’s that gossip host guy on that local channel Stonehaven Central Programming then I trust him. He’s very well connected.” 

“It was him on SCP. Katherine, he said that Art’s looking into taking some sort of action against you.” 

“Did he say what kind?” 

“No.” 

“Oh. I have a restraining order against him but it expired and I can’t renew it without any kind of proof that he’s a threat to me. As far as I can tell we aren’t in the same zip code anymore. Hon, what happened to your arm?” 

He’d forgotten that he’d put an ice pack over it. “I pulled a muscle last night closing a fire hydrant with Ben. That sucker was tough! I went ass over tit right on the ground. It was slick out there and I forgot about it.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry that happened.” his arm wasn’t swollen at all but Katherine knew that muscle problems were the most aggravating. They took a long time to heal and broken bones were even worse. 

“Did I ever tell you I broke my left wrist once? I was taking riding lessons as a teen and had a fall. Landed right on it and now I’m more accurate than the weather forecaster on TV.” 

“Oh that had to hurt!” Joel tickled Katherine, trying to make her laugh. “Still feeling the effects of the infusion?” 

“Actually I discovered something interesting this morning.” 

“What is it? Something good?” 

“It has its ups and downs.” 

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense, girl!” 

Katherine couldn’t resist toying with him. “Can you guess?” 

“Well, I do know that you were late. Did it ever show up? It couldn’t have or you’d be a cranky hormonal mess.” Joel could guess as to what she was on about but he didn’t want to allude to a possible pregnancy in case he was wrong. Katherine’s brown eyes danced a little bit, seemingly teasing him a little bit. “You know more than you’re telling!” 

“Well...” Katherine reached for his hand which he gave her willingly, then put his hand on her pelvis, hoping he’d get the message. “you seem to be more in tune with my body than I am to put it simply.” 

“Really?” Joel’s face lit up, glancing down at his hand which she was pressing firmly down on. He could hardly imagine it, a new life was growing because of them. They had joked about Joel getting her pregnant but now it didn’t seem real that it actually happened. “You can’t be more than six or seven weeks. Did your doctor confirm it or did you test yourself?” 

“I checked myself. I can’t bear not knowing. This is kind of a strange thing for me. I’m happy about it but I’m not looking forward to getting fat as a cow and becoming a hormonal mess.” 

“I can’t say that I’ve been there obviously but I’ve seen how it affects other women. Your experience will be different just like every woman’s. All I can do is be there as much as possible and support you.” Joel’s other arm went around her waist so he was in a front-to-back hug with her then he gave her a kiss. Katherine was pregnant with his baby! It was almost too good to be true. 

“Well, what should be the next step in this relationship? My mind is kind of stuck on the life changing news that I’m bringing a life into the world.” she allowed Joel to pick her legs up off of the floor and drape them over his lap. “It’s gonna take some time for me to get over.” 

“Logically I think you should move in with me. Your place is really small which is good for you but it makes more sense for us to be together. You’re going to need the support before long. Besides I like having you with me and you’re so good for me. I love your cat too. How old is he?” Joel smiled as Katherine put her head on his shoulder, taking one of his hands in her small one. He understood where she was coming from; their lives were about to be changed forever in about 9 months. It was a lot to process for any couple. Idly the firefighter stroked her long legs for a moment, eyes soft with the affection for his girlfriend and deep love for her and their future child. 

“Mick? He’s about 12 years old and has a little health problem. Kitty diabetes but I never mind. He adopted me on sight one day after I moved in and love at first sight.” 

“Sweet. I also want you under my roof so I can protect you from anything your ex has planned. I heard he was going to take action against you and that might mean anything from cutting your alimony to potentially putting a hit on you.” 

“I wouldn’t put that past him,” she said darkly. “do you have contacts in the police force? You must, right?”

“I do. What I want to do is inquire discreetly or put a word in that rumor had it someone was going to hurt you.” 

“Maybe they already know and will call me on Monday. I’m not going to dwell on that right now.” Katherine removed her legs from Joel’s lap, got on her knees and laughed, kissing him deeply from an awkward position. The firefighter grabbed her and twisted so she fell into his lap, her shoulders against the back of the arm of the couch. Her pelvis was twisted away from him but that didn’t stop Joel from draping an arm against her side and snaking his hand down. 

“You think you could get away from me that easily?” he chuckled, locking lips with the teacher. “I just can’t wait for your boobs to get bigger!” 

“They’ll get bigger and sore. I’ll make you my personal masseuse. When they start hurting you need to come after me with some lotion.” Katherine brushed her hair back from her lips, studying Joel intently, wondering how she got so lucky. 

“Can I start now?” her lips were so pink and full; most of the color had come back since she had her first infusion. Those lips of hers were begging for a kiss, Joel thought, so he leaned down and sealed his lips over hers. Katherine’s eyes smiled while she closed them, enjoying the moment. 

“Well I think you need a little education on how to do it right. Observe,” Katherine pulled out some lotion from her bag which Joel recognized. “my lavender lotion enriched with vitamin E and aloe. You take a little dollop in your hand and use the heel of your hand to massage it in really well.” 

“Babe, take that shirt off.” Joel was too eager to commence operations. Laughing, Katherine shed her top and got into Joel’s lap. He followed her demonstration to the letter, using the heel of his hand to work the lotion in well. It was vastly different from his paramedic training but he was a fast learner and in no time he was working Katherine’s chest expertly with his hands. 

“Oh I think I’m in love all over again.” Joel stopped rubbing at her declaration. 

“What did you say?” 

“I said I’m in love all over again.” she made to sit up but the firefighter stopped her, his eyes grew bigger and his pulse sped up a little bit like he was seeing her for the first time again. 

“You love me?”

“I didn’t tell you that?” the teacher frowned briefly, wondering if she had told him before or just thought it. Sometimes it got hard to separate fantasy from reality at some points. For Joel the fact that she was pregnant was almost too good to be true; for Katherine a sense of unreality as she was pregnant but didn’t feel any symptoms just yet. 

“No. But I love you, Katherine.” the way his eyes were shining, the way he was looking at her made her believe his sincerity with every fiber of her being; not that there was any doubt on either part. 

“I really love you, Joel.” his heart melted like Katherine’s did. Leaning down they kissed, Katherine reached up and put her hand on the side of his neck, the heel of her hand facing out. The two kissed and made out for several long and blissful minutes. 

“I can’t believe that this is happening to us,” Joel said finally. “this seems like a fantasy or something out of a storybook. We are-but it’s mainly you that is going to make us a family. I admit I was hoping that this would happen to us at some point. We’ll have been together over a year when it’s born so I don’t think you can accuse us of rushing too much.” 

“True that. I will start getting my things together in my spare time to get ready to move into your house. I want us to wait on announcing my condition for awhile yet.” 

“Why is that?” Joel started kissing her waist, liking the idea of his half naked girlfriend lying on his lap, working his way down to her pelvis, making her giggle. Katherine reached down and tilted Joel’s head so he was looking at her in the eye. 

“I think that we need to wait until at least 12 weeks to start doing things. The majority of miscarriages happen before that and I am not going to tell people that I’m pregnant one day and contradict them later. The fact that I have a medical condition automatically makes me high risk. I know it’s been almost 3 months since my surgery but I’m still healing. My medication management is better managed by a high risk OBGYN.” 

“True. So, let me know about appointments and keep me informed, all right? Did you want to wait awhile before you move in with me?” 

“Well, I think we can manage that at least. I need to give a month’s notice then I can leave. The lease will be up in October anyway which is damned convenient.” 

“I like how this is starting to work. You and me, babe. We’ll get some time to know each other more as housemates.” 

“Housemates?” Katherine started laughing as she pulled her top back on. “We can cohabitate without any problems.” 

“Damned straight. What would you like today?” 

“Just you. My libido is going to be increased. Oh, I should probably meet your parents if I’m going to bear your child.” she winked. “I think it would be too much for them to meet me after I’ve had the baby.” 

“My parents are pretty awesome people. They’re not going to have a problem with the fact that we’re not married and having a baby. Though we’re not telling them yet.” he added. “They can come over tomorrow or later today to have supper.” 

“Sure I’m open.” 

“OK, if you’re sure. You’ve progressed to actually cooking a good dinner so I’m not going to protest.” 

“Oh fuck you! No, wait a minute-you might knock me up again.” 

“Once I’ve knocked you up I can’t do it again, girl.” Joel was starting to make out with Katherine again but her cell phone buzzed. Reaching over she picked it up.

“It’s from the ad agency! Sorry but I gotta take this!” she slid the bar on the phone and talked with someone. It was short and quick; Joel looked at her expectantly as she hung up the phone and put it back with his on the end table. 

“I won, Joel! They’re putting my jingle on national TV!” she cried. 

“Oh my god hon, it’s amazing! Congratulations!” he kissed her proudly. “I think we need to mark the occasion somehow but you can’t drink.” 

“I have an idea.” 

“Oh yeah?” he was all ears, taking her left hand and kissing the wrist like Gomez Addams. 

“No, I can’t tell you. We won’t be able to keep a straight face at supper and your parents would start to wonder.” 

“We better call and invite them before we get too far ahead of ourselves.” Joel picked up the phone and invited his parents over to meet his girlfriend. Estelle was beyond excited to meet her, promising that she and Joel’s father Thomas would be over that night at 6 PM. 

“We can spend all day in bed, teacher.” Joel hung up the phone, folding his arms around Katherine’s body, giving a breathy sigh in her ear. 

“All right my hunky firefighter. When are you on again at the firehouse?” he began to rock her back and forth to a tune in his head, humming a little bit. Katherine smiled gleefully as she did a little turn and came back to him, dropping a kiss on his cheek. 

“Tomorrow. Let’s go into the bedroom and just have some fun.” Joel got up, took Katherine’s hand, steering her into the bedroom with a little laugh. 

When they were done having sex, Joel sprawled out on the foot of the bed as Katherine took her lightweight gingham shirt, knotted the tails so it exposed her stomach, then put on her knee length floral skirt. 

“So what else do you want to know about me?” 

“What are the holidays like for your family? One big happy occasion?” 

“Pretty much. We go over to my parents’ house for Christmas Eve supper then all of us head over to my sister Josie’s house since she has the kid. We spoil each other; Mom is pretty giving and all of us definitely give each other presents.” 

“What do you give?” 

“That’s where you come in; you’re a girl and you might be able to help me out in that respect. I usually get my nephew a book and Mom gets my sisters gifts and says one of them is from me. You’d be able to give me more insight.” he patted the space next to him, giving her a come hither look saucily. 

“I might. Usually inexpensive jewelry can be an option. Something small and understated that can be worn with just about anything is a good choice,” Katherine sat near Joel then put her head against his hip. “it’s a good failsafe in any circumstance.” she pulled the butterfly clip out of her hair, letting her messy tresses loose. 

“I never would have thought about it.” Joel began combing his fingers through her long hair. “You still seem distracted, babe.” 

“I am, honey,” she admitted. “I don’t like babies at all and the thought of caring for one scares me to death. I’m not maternal and I absolutely hate teaching kindergarten kids. How can I reconcile all of that with being a mom?” 

“First off you need to concentrate on the here and now,” the firefighter reminded her, hand firmly on her pelvis. “this hand’s going to find your pelvis now no matter what like a homing beacon or something. You’ve got 9 months to cope and come to term with it. That’s the deadline anyway. You’ve got to relax and just roll with things. It’ll take a lot of stress off of your life.” 

“You’re right. I can benefit a lot by your example.” Joel chuckled and kissed her. 

“Your parents will be here tonight, right?” 

“Yeah. We have a few hours. What do you want to make for them?”

“Well, I think that WE will make something simple.” 

“How about some bacon wrapped chicken on the grill and some veggie kebabs? Simple stuff.” 

“Oh yes indeed. What about dessert options? I can bake better than I cook.” Katherine moved so that her feet were near his head, one hand resting at the scar on her midsection. Joel admired the curve of her body, watching her for a long moment. She would make a great mother and he would be an awesome dad because he had a great dad himself, he reasoned. 

The firefighter raised himself up so he was kneeling then took Katherine’s hands, pressing them on her stomach. “What are you doing, honey?” 

“Just trust me on this one,” he kissed her belly lovingly. “I can tell that it will be a strong little person growing in there and you will be a very strong mom.” 

“No doubt I can be a strong woman, Joel, but you know about my worries about that situation. I’m not going to dwell on them anymore.” she loved having his hands entwined with hers, the rough calloused palms giving her a sense of security that he would take care of her and protect her. 

“It takes a strong woman to say that.” blue eyes met brown then cut back to Katherine’s pelvis. The firefighter almost wished he was able to see underneath her skin and muscle to see their child for his own eyes. 

“You love it already, I can tell.” it didn’t take a genius to figure that out; Joel was on a high of sorts, very excited, a bit hyper, but so loving it was almost funny to her. 

“Let’s not call the baby it.” 

“That’s such a nonissue! The baby doesn’t even have a gender yet. I won’t get worked up about that. How about we watch some TV out in the living room?” 

“Sure.” Katherine slipped out of her skirt, put on a pair of denim shorts, then puttered barefoot out into the hall. Joel picked up his tan cargo shorts and slid them on, grabbed an old blue t-shirt and raised it up to put it on but Katherine stopped him. “I didn’t say that you should put that on yet.” 

“So?” 

“Don’t make me go all teacher/disciplinarian on your ass!” she started laughing, chasing him to the couch and jumping on top of him. 

“Oh, is my wildest dream about to come true?” Katherine grabbed his wrists, locking his pelvis with her thighs, squeezing hard. 

“You’re a firefighter and I kind of don’t want to know what your wildest dream could be!” 

“You’re right!” they wrestled with each other for a few minutes until Joel won, pinning Katherine down on the couch. The remote fell off of the end table in their scuffling and hit the power button. The gossip host’s face flashed on the TV with a big toothy grin and a look of a cat that ate the canary. 

“Thorndike update!” he chirped happily. “Monday morning is going to be hard for the businessman! He’s going to get slammed with a lawsuit by the ex employees all hard up about their abuse that he and his staff reportedly inflicted on them. The flip side of all of this is that rumor was late this morning that Art is blaming his ex for the state of his finances and he doesn’t want to pay his alimony to her anymore. Say it with me now, people, ‘boo hoo!’.” 

Joel and Katherine both sat up as the host looked serious for a second. “Art’s the type of person who can’t let anything go and we need to protect the ex Mrs. Thorndike. There’s no end to what he wouldn’t do to put that poor woman in harm’s way.” 

“He’s right, you know. Once Art jostled me while crossing a busy intersection and I almost got hit by a car. He’s devious.” Katherine told Joel. “I was lucky that my reflexes were so good.” 

“All right, we were having a good time up until now. How about we change the channel?” Joel picked up the remote and tuned into an old sitcom. 

The couple relaxed watching old TV shows on subchannels for the next few hours. The firefighter was enthralled by an old episode of South Park, giggling along when he realized that Katherine was dozing off next to him. He put one arm around her shoulder, causing her to rest her head against his chest and close her eyes completely. 

“Take a nap, babe. You might be feeling drained when the symptoms really start showing themselves.” his voice helped to lull her to sleep. Lazily he pushed a little bit of her hair away from her eyes, seeing the freckles from her fair skin peppering her face. Joel had a lighter skin tone than her and he didn’t have any freckles or moles visible to the naked eye. His girlfriend’s body was already undergoing significant changes which were going to tire her out for the first three months so Joel knew she had to rest as much as she could.


	12. Chapter 12

The sound of a commercial blaring on made Joel start up in alarm, not even realizing that he’d fallen asleep next to Katherine. “I didn’t realize that I was that tired,” he yawned then checked on his girlfriend. She was right next to him, sound asleep while he grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. “I think that’s enough TV for now. How about we check the time?” the clock on the wall indicated that was nearly time to start cooking; his parents would be showing up soon. 

“Time to get up, hot stuff,” reluctantly he roused the teacher. “I hate to wake you.” 

“Aw, then don’t.” she gave him a sleepy smile. 

“I have to, Katherine. My folks will be here pretty quick.” 

“I need to look presentable.” she brushed past him and off to the bedroom. Joel stood up, stretched, then thought again that Katherine looked so beautiful and serene when she was sleeping. He could almost prefer her asleep than awake some times, the firefighter had to chuckle. 

**

Estelle and Thomas arrived exactly on time. Joel chattered with his dad while they stayed out on the patio while the firefighter grilled their supper. Katherine was her happy bubbly self as Estelle made her feel very comfortable. The plump woman insisted on helping the teacher out in the kitchen, setting the table, etc, then proceeded to engage her in a conversation about the young children in the kindergarten class that she taught. 

“They’re such cute little kids but what I really like about my job is teaching music,” Katherine tried to put a good face on her job. “music makes the kids come alive.” 

“I bet they do, dear!” Estelle beamed. “Joel’s sister Dawn plays guitar and his sister Josie took up clarinet in high school band.” 

“Oh, music runs in the family; I never would have noticed that with him!” 

“Joel doesn’t tend to say much about his sisters; I think he’s felt a little like the odd one out. They were always ganging up on him as a kid. Middle child syndrome.” Estelle poured a glass of iced tea, handing one to Katherine and getting one for herself. 

“Oh yes I get that.”

“Do you have any siblings, dear?” 

“I have a little brother Gareth,” Katherine gave a brief history of her family. “Gareth stayed with our distant relations in Gray while my Uncle Jack took me in. We’ve been estranged ever since the funeral.” 

“You poor thing,” Estelle consoled her. “I know it’s very hard to lose a parent; Joel’s grandfather died six years ago and it was hard for him; they were very close.” 

“Oh. He never mentioned it.” 

“He wouldn’t. Those kinds of things he locks away and needs coercion to get them out. Joel didn’t talk about it for awhile which is fine. Everyone grieves differently.” 

At the same time out on the patio Thomas had just asked Joel what his intentions were towards Katherine in a kind manner. The elder Harrison was as tall as his son, a little portly with a black beard and moustache with deep hazel eyes. 

“We’re going for long term relationship, Dad.” the firefighter lowered the lid on the grill. 

“You love her?” 

“With all I’ve got in me.” 

Thomas gave Joel a wide grin. “She seems easy to get to know, very friendly, has a great smile.” 

Joel found himself relaxing not even knowing he’d been tense. “I know your approval isn’t required but I’m glad to have it.” 

“I know, son. I want to make sure that you have someone who loves you deeply unlike your last go around on the dating carousel,” Thomas saw Joel wink at Katherine through the sliding glass door, making her giggle and flush. “the secret is staying in love through the years. If you’re still crazy about her after a year when the initial infatuation wears off, have good open communication, then you’ll be all set. She seems like a winner.” 

“She is. In every way.” 

“Do you think of marrying her?” Thomas recognized Joel’s far away stare very well. It was a sign of a man deeply infatuated and in love with the lady of his dreams. 

“To be honest, I think we could go the whole route without being married.” 

“The whole route? You mean kids and such?” 

“Eventually.” the elder Harrison realized that Joel was uncomfortable about the children subject so he let it go but his mind was at work, trying to discern what the firefighter might have been implying by his reluctance. A few possibilities flashed in his mind; if he got a chance later on he would address it. 

After the supper was served, the four laughed and talked all throughout dinner, Katherine giggling at a story of Joel when he was a little boy; how he’d pulled pranks on his sisters, getting into shenanigans with the neighborhood kids. 

“Joel knew he wanted to be a firefighter when he was a teenager,” Thomas told Katherine. “he had seen a burning house not too far from where we live and become enamored watching the firefighters in action. He started obsessing and dreaming about it then realized he needed to study hard in order to achieve his dream. Joel excelled in math and science, took a voc program and enrolled in fire science in college the summer after he graduated high school.” 

“So that’s how it started.” Katherine gave Joel a glance, wondering why he’d never told her. But then again she had never asked, mentally assuming that it may have been a trauma that enticed him to join the fire department. 

“Yes indeed! He was on his way to Philadelphia to get more training almost before we knew it. He had his paramedic certificate and license then got his degree in fire science pretty quickly. So how about you, Katherine? Joel told us you’re really into music and love teaching it to kids. How did you get interested in music?” 

“Well, my parents played piano and drums. I got a good education in both of them growing up. I find music very therapeutic and almost cathartic at times. I want to inspire a generation of musicians, to help them appreciate the great artists of our time.” Thomas and Estelle nodded encouragingly as Joel watched his girlfriend. His parents showed nothing but love and approval which he was very happy to see. 

“Very admirable,” Estelle approved. “there’s nothing as pure and as wholehearted as classic music or jazz, or whatever you like. Provided they’re by real musicians and not all this techno garbage made by people who can’t sing!” 

Katherine burst out laughing. “I know exactly what you mean!” 

When supper was over Joel was loading the dishwasher while Katherine and Thomas cleaned up the grill. Estelle showed up in the kitchen and took a plate from her son. “Let me get that, dearie.” 

“Oh Mom,” he rinsed off the plate and put it in the dishwasher. “after a childhood of nagging me to rinse and stack in the dishwasher you suddenly do it for me? Are you testing me?” 

Estelle laughed. “No, son! Come on, many hands make light work, remember?” 

They settled into a rhythm of rinsing and loading while Estelle made light chatter. “I like your new girlfriend! A big improvement over your past one. Tell me, do you intend on marrying her and having kids?” 

“We’re not going to marry, Mom. You know the government takes a marriage tax out of us. That money would be better used to make improvements to the house, buy a car or start a family but we don’t feel a need to get hitched.” 

“Makes sense to me! You two don’t want to spend frivolously I know, but-” Estelle did a double take at her son, locked him with a no nonsense Mom stare and said, “is she pregnant, honey?” 

“Mom-” he started to protest but she cut him off. 

“Joel!” a flush of pink overtook her face. “How long?” 

“Mom, how on earth did you know?” the firefighter took the soap out of the cabinet, poured it into the little receptacle, slid the cover shut over it and snapped the lid shut firmly. The dishwasher started automatically, a little audible groan of machinery starting up was all they heard. Starting the machine gave Joel a moment to recover himself from the shock of his mother finding out about Katherine’s condition. He turned back to his mother, ready to face the onslaught of questions she undoubtedly had. 

“You only had ten seconds to reply yes or no. I know you wouldn’t lie to your mother and you don’t want to say yes right away because I’m guessing you only found out very recently.” Estelle hung the dish towel over the bar on the oven so it would dry out properly. 

“You are the Sherlock Holmes of this family, Mom. She just found out today.” 

“So she doesn’t know how long yet?” 

“No. It has to be at least six or seven weeks. Anyway the whole point of us having you over for supper was that she get to know you and make a good impression before you found about about the pregnancy. We were going to tell you later on.” 

“Why not tell us now? We would understand!” Estelle tossed her hands in the air, seemingly exasperated but more concerned that Joel didn’t tell in her. 

“Because, Mom, that it isn’t a very good introduction, is it? ‘hi, I’m screwing your son and I’m having his baby’ doesn’t make a good first impression! It’s not proper!” 

“Now son, there’s double standards to that!” Estelle immediately went into Mom mode. “If you were dating someone questionable like an abuser or goldigger we’d have a problem with that! But you show us a sweet and modest lady with a good heart and an obvious love for you and music and I don’t care how sudden the relationship is-I remember you talked with me and your sister months ago about her, and we will embrace her.” 

“Aw, Mom.” Joel kissed his mother’s cheek affectionately. “Just when I think I’ve got you figured out I’m wrong. You are so devious.” 

“Because I’m your mother, Joel.” she giggled girlishly.   
**

Katherine shut the lid to the grill with a clang. Thomas watched her for a long moment before finishing off his beer, giving her a wide smile and asking, “So how long have you been pregnant?” 

“I don’t know. I told Joel not to tell you.” she sighed. Joel’s father put his hand on Katherine’s shoulder. 

“Don’t you go blaming my son, Katherine. I gathered from his response about marriage earlier that something seemed a little off. There’s nothing wrong with the course that you’re taking naturally,” he added. “plenty of couples have kids and don’t marry. What matters is the love you two have for each other.” 

The teacher didn’t get a chance to reply as Estelle called her and Thomas inside. “Here we are, the grill’s nice and clean.” 

“She did a great job, son.” Joel crossed to Katherine and took her hand. 

“Um Katherine, my mom knows and I’m pretty sure Dad’s rumbled our secret too. Nothing gets past these two.” 

Before Katherine could turn pale Estelle beckoned her to sit on the couch with Joel while she and Thomas sat on the coffee table across from them. The teacher looked apprehensive but with her boyfriend there to offer her support she felt like she’d be OK. 

“I easily understand that the fact that this is the first time that we’re meeting you Katherine, and you thought it would wreck our first impression of you by revealing the fact that you’re pregnant by our son,” Estelle began. “but Joel’s been texting both of us about you for months now and we feel like we already know you.” 

“All due respect but texting isn’t the same as meeting.” 

“That’s very true but we want you to know that we don’t judge you at all. Thomas and I do unconditional love which, forgive me, it doesn’t sound like you’re used to it.” 

Katherine let out a chuckle. “That would be true, sadly. But I’m experiencing it now through Joel and it’s wonderful.” 

“As it should be.” Thomas grinned. “You’ve been treated roughly, Katherine, and I’m glad our son found you. If there should be even the slightest hint that your ex is threatening you, please come to us.” 

“I will, Thomas. I can’t thank you both enough for your acceptance of me.” her eyes shone brightly at Joel’s parents; both of them radiating such positivity and benevolence towards her it was almost overwhelming. 

Estelle sensed this. “You’ve been through the dark now come to the light, Katherine!” she enveloped her in a big hug, followed by Thomas. “You can lean on us now for anything.” 

“Aw, thank you so much.” even Joel looked moved by his parents’ acceptance of Katherine. He had agreed with her that being pregnant at the first meeting of the parents was a bad idea but also felt like he’d underestimated his mother and father. They were both kind and loving people, though merely polite to the people that they didn’t like but there weren’t a lot of them around. 

“Now we won’t say anything to Josie and Dawn on the matter; it’s all between us.” Estelle said for clarification purposes. A thought ran through Katherine’s mind; she was sorry she hadn’t met these two wonderful people sooner. Joel looked like he was thinking the same thing. 

**

Estelle and Thomas left a short while later amid promises to keep them updated on Katherine’s condition. The teacher hurried back into the house, stripped all of her clothes off, then put on her navy and silver striped beach coverup shirt. Joel looked at her, mystified when she tossed him the keys to the Explorer and climbed in. 

“I think you really deserve the reward I promised you today,” they were at the beach in no time as the sun was going down. The beach was deserted, pale moonlight was emanating down through the pine trees and water. “it’s so calm.” 

They walked towards the water line, feeling the cool water wash over their ankles. Katherine glanced at Joel in the dim light, brushing back her hair from the faint breeze wafting in from the cove. “You know, tonight was the night that I realized I have a family again. My parents were a lot like yours. It’s been awhile since I felt accepted and really embraced since my parents died.” 

“I hope my parents didn’t smother you. That’s the other thing I was a bit worried about.” 

“They didn’t. I was nearly overwhelmed but in a good way. Joel, I haven’t experienced familial love in ten years and today I got it back. A little differently but it’s there.” 

“It touched you deeply, didn’t it?” completely in shadow Katherine took off her cover up and waded into the water. 

“More than you’ll ever know, honey. Now come on. That surprise I have for you is waiting.” she beckoned. 

“I can’t wait for this,” he waded out to where Katherine was, giving her a long kiss. The teacher took his hand, slid it down her shapely thigh, making sure that he noticed there was no bikini bottom on her. “oh, I see. Let me shed these and I’ll be right with you.” 

“Don’t be long, hot stuff.” 

When Joel came back commando Katherine perched on a smooth rock and proceeded to make out with him heavily, running one hand down his neck, his shoulder, then his muscley forearm, moaning in delight as she felt his strong bicep. She kept her head tilted up as he necked her, hands on her shoulders and working his way down. Seated on the rock they were up to their shoulders in the water which was the perfect depth and temperature for their antics. 

The teacher palmed Joel with her hands, pumping him slowly, trying to make him more eager to enter her but he had a few more minutes to play with her chest. He pretended to resist the hands around him but it wasn’t long before he was moaning alongside her. The firefighter pretended reluctance but with Katherine’s relentless persistence he entered, sliding gently until she stretched out enough to accommodate him. Grinning to herself Katherine worked her pelvic muscles for a moment. 

Joel felt like his dick was getting a massage. He looked at her in amazement. “What on earth?” 

“Just a little something I learned on the side. Pelvic floor muscles have to be exercised; I’ve been doing them for years now.” 

“And you waited until now to try them out on me?” he tried to be accusatory but failed. 

“You’re harshing my sex buzz, Joel. Come on and teach me a lesson.” Joel happily obliged, letting themselves get carried away in the moment. 

When they were finished, the couple were panting and trying to recover their strength enough to get to shore when a light appeared on the lake, slowly getting closer to the cove. Joel grabbed Katherine’s hand and helped her dash to the shore, reaching their things and ducking behind a tree to put them on. 

The light of a jet ski roared into the cove a moment later, making Katherine and Joel hold their breath, wiggling into their clothes. They were trespassing on the beach; it closed as the sun went down but they’d parked the Explorer a block away so they wouldn’t get caught. 

“Don’t move,” Joel whispered, tensing up a little bit. He ventured a look, seeing a silhouette out on the water which stayed still for a moment then the engine was revved up and the person disappeared from view. “good. It’s gone.” 

“Good!” they went to the driveway and found the SUV down the block. 

Later on that night Katherine woke up which was odd; her sleeping pill didn’t allow her to wake up usually. She answered nature’s call and sank back down into the bed, getting next to Joel who didn’t wake up at all. For some reason she was a little uncomfortable and found relief in jamming a pillow under her legs. Reaching over she grabbed her phone, Googling when the general uncomfortable symptoms came in pregnancy. “For some women quite early on. Great..” she mumbled. 

Joel stirred next to her. “Katherine?” 

She put her phone down. “Sorry if I woke you.” 

“It’s OK. What is it?” 

“I can’t get comfortable.” 

A deep chuckle reached her ears. “Starting already isn’t it? Snuggle up.” Joel drew her to him, spooning her happily. Katherine drew his hand and put it over her pelvis in mock irritation. 

“Tell your child to behave.” he rubbed her belly in a circular motion, falling back asleep. 

“Don’t make me come in there..” Katherine lost it then, giggling her way back to sleep. 

In the morning before Joel had to get up he brushed his girlfriend’s hair aside to reveal her bare neck and began to kiss it, making her wake up moaning. “Oh that’s it, keep it up, babe.” the firefighter took himself in his hands, getting ready to jack it before Katherine’s hands stopped him. 

“Do you always have morning wood?” 

“Wanna do it in the shower instead?” 

“Oh. Twist my arm.” 

One hour later Joel was about ready to get to work, talking with Katherine in the driveway about last night. The sex while skinny dipping was fantastic, they both agreed, but not worth the risk of getting found out. “Why don’t we keep it in the shower or hot tub for now, OK?”

“Hot tubs aren’t a good idea for you or the baby.” his hand found her belly again. Katherine smiled and held his hand there. “Are you starting to experience some discomfort?” he thought he remembered her last night trying to get to sleep but it may have been just a dream. 

“Yeah. I told you to tell your child to behave and you said ‘don’t make me come in there’ and I just about lost it.” 

“I said that?!” Joel burst out laughing, swinging on board the Explorer. “Well, Sunday is usually filled with training so I’ll be keeping busy. Keep me informed and I’ll stop by your house on Monday night unless I get too tired.” 

“Deal.” she kissed him, got into her own car and left the property. 

**

Sunday passed without a problem; Katherine picked up the phone and gave notice for her leaving the house she rented. The teacher hauled down her boxes of miscellaneous items and sorted through them, building two big boxes to donate to a charity. Mick watched her from his windowsill, green eyes blinking slowly as he was unconcerned at what she was doing. 

By the time the day was over, Katherine had made donations to two charities, set her lesson plans for the next two days, graded papers and had supper. That night she had been sleeping well for about four hours, had to get up, then could not get comfortable again. “This is starting to be a pattern!” the discomfort would pass as soon as the other symptoms started showing themselves. 

Joel was on paramedic duty that night again; he responded to several house calls that were not emergencies and one car accident that had a pregnant woman involved in it. He and Charlie had to use the jaws of life on the twisted metal that had once been a car, then held the woman securely until they could check for spinal injuries. Once she was cleared to be moved, they brought her into the ambulance where the accident triggered labor. 

Charlie talked her through it while Joel delivered the child. He had to cringe inwardly, keeping away the thoughts of Katherine and what her lady parts would look like in 9 months. Forcing himself to pay attention to the task at hand he unwound the cord from around the child’s neck, cleaned it up and checked the Apgar scores, once at birth and another five minutes later. The baby was almost blue in the face so he cleared the airways the best he could; even a moment’s pause would upset a new mother very quickly. 

The paramedic was relieved to hear a quavery cry burst forth from the new arrival, swaddling it up tightly and handing it to Charlie to give to the mom. Joel cleaned up the mother and sat down on the bench seat with a sigh. Katherine was going to go down that road albeit hopefully not in a car accident of all places. 

Leaving the mom in the back, Joel drove them into the hospital, unloaded them with Charlie’s help, then rode back to the firehouse, ready for the next call. 

“You’re awfully quiet tonight, Joel. What are you thinking about?” Ben had just gotten back from filling it at another fire station where someone had gone on vacation. Joel studied him intently, wondering if he could confide in him but Katherine had told him only his parents were to know about her condition. 

He could be indirect and Ben would be discreet enough to keep it quiet. Charlie’s blustery nature did not inspire confidences. “Can I rely on your discretion?” 

“Of course.” 

“So I heard a guy knocked up his girlfriend and then he sees someone give birth just after a car accident which makes him realize just how fragile a pregnant woman is and is starting to wonder if his own girlfriend will truly be all right. She is strong but the slightest thing or say adverse circumstances can put their lives at risk.” 

Ben understood the veiled reference. “Well, just keep in mind that we can be as careful as possible but there can be adverse circumstances; we can’t prepare for everything. Take reasonable precautions and not be paranoid. Don’t drive anyone nuts worrying either.” 

“Right.” somehow it felt more reassuring to hear it from Ben. 

**

Monday arrived and with that the second week of the school year. Katherine got dressed, went to work, then at her afternoon break she called her gynecologist’s office to get some advice. The doctor wanted to run basic lab tests on her which she agreed to, then booked herself in for a dating ultrasound the next day at 3:30 PM after her last class. 

Going home she saw Joel’s SUV parked on the street so she could use her own driveway. Katherine pulled in, parked, then greeted her boyfriend with a big hug and kiss. “How you doing, cuteness?”

“Just great,” he told her about the traumatic birth at the car accident scene. “now I hope I don’t start to worry.” 

“That’s right; it’s natural. Don’t forget I’m a formidable person though and I haven’t gotten myself in a car accident for years. I like to be safe.” she warned him, taking leftovers out of the refrigerator. 

“All right,” he put his hands up at the elbows, pretending to surrender. “did you call the gyno?”

“I did. I got an appointment for a dating ultrasound and labwork tomorrow at 3:30. I have to rush in right after class.” 

“I’ll be there. What’s the address?” he plugged it into his phone. “Is it time to feed Mick?”

“Yeah it is now that I think of it. Where did he go?” the teacher went into the living room, checking his windowsill seat. He wasn’t there so Katherine checked the litter box, the bathroom, the spare room and her room. The old cat was sitting on her bed sound asleep. “It’s not like you to sleep through dinnertime, my lovely pussy. Do we need to have your insulin levels adjusted again?” she put her fingers through his thick fur and hesitated; he was cold. 

“Oh say it isn’t so, Mick,” she picked him up but the cat held his position, making her cry out in shock. “Joel!” 

The firefighter came into the room at a fast stride. “Are you all right, love? Is it the bab-” 

“No. It’s Mick. He’s-he’s dead..” she glanced up at him from where she sat on the bed, her eyes grew teary. 

“Really?” he took the cat from her. “He’s hard as wood.. I’m so sorry, babe,” Joel put the dead cat in his lap and pulled Katherine into an embrace. He let her cry while his heart ached for her, remembering a few dead pets in his childhood that he mourned for a long time. “it’s OK, let it all out.” 

“Thanks.” she raised a tearstained face to meet his eyes. 

“First time I ever saw you cry,” he kissed her. “do you want me to bury him?” 

“Let’s do it together.” 

“Sure you don’t want to rest a bit?” Joel gently pushed her so she was lying down, picking up the cat’s body. Katherine got up from the bed and took her cat from her boyfriend. 

“I know the proper spot; where I found him initially.” Katherine gave Joel a shovel, lead him to the far side of the property and showed him a small rocky outcrop which hung over a sandy spot. “He was waiting for me when I moved into the property almost 2 years ago. Mick was a friendly stray, he adopted me on the spot. I took him in, had him microchipped and about six months ago he developed kitty diabetes.” 

It took a few minutes but Joel dug a hole deep enough to bury the cat in. “I should have asked before but do you want to bury him at my house instead?” 

“No, here is where he was happiest,” she knelt down and put the cat into the grave. “I’ll always love my Mick.” they filled in the hole together, Joel taking her hand. 

“I was so spoiled by him,” they walked to the house together. “he’d come and sit on me while I watched TV on the couch, he’d sit on the edge of the tub and watch me while I was taking a bath-he’d even sleep in the tub at night.” 

“Why?” 

“I think it was because of ants. He loved playing with ants and bugs in general,” she drew a shaky sigh. “my first cat is the best; he always has a special place in my heart just like my first love.” 

“Thanks for the compliment.” Joel ushered her into the house, turned, then wrapped her in his arms. Katherine appreciated the gesture beyond what words could say, closing her eyes and melting in his embrace, drawing comfort from his presence. The firefighter listened to her muted crying, wishing he could help her more, but he contented himself with stroking her hair and gently saying words of comfort. 

Several minutes later when Katherine quieted down Joel gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’m going to stay here tonight.” 

“Sure? I would be OK alone.” 

“No, I’m not having that,” he quickly dismissed. “I don’t want you alone tonight and not just for any reason you might think of.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah. When I lost my first dog I was 8 years old and I had nightmares that lasted for weeks. My parents tried to help me out but the nightmares just kept up.” 

“Really?” it was past 9 so Joel walked her down to her room, gave her the sleeping pill she needed, left her to change and get in bed. Katherine knew that she’d fall asleep before the pill took effect and Joel seemed to know it too. He perched on the edge of the bed, prepared to talk until she drifted off. 

“Yeah. The dog was a yappy little beagle that my mom hated but my sisters loved so they kept it. Theo played a mean game of fetch and was with us for about four years until he got hit by a car and was killed.” Joel recounted a few other pets; a German shepherd that was loved by the whole family and was a retired police dog at age ten and lived with them until she died at age 14. Both of his sisters had cats, they had fish, gerbils, even a chinchilla. 

Katherine enjoyed the animal tales, relating that her uncle had horses his entire life and she loved all of them. During her childhood she had a rabbit and two guinea pigs which loved to hide and play with her. She had many tales of the horses at the ranch, promised to take Joel there during vacation sometime and would teach him to ride. 

“And it will happen sooner rather than later.” her voice was getting weaker; Joel realized that she was fading into sleep. He paused for a few moments, watching her eyelids get heavier then shut completely. The firefighter got up, locked the house, turned off the lights then retreated to the bedroom. Changing for bed he got in next to his girlfriend, exhaling a little sigh. It had been a busy day.


	13. Chapter 13

Katherine woke up at the usual time the next morning, went over to the kitchen and got coffee started. Joel was already op and in the shower as she shuffled over to the cabinet where the cat food was stored, reached for the little scoop inside the bag then remembered that Mick was no more. She shut the cabinet with a rattle, stifling a little grunt of emotional pain. The teacher forced herself to get ready for the day like normal, handing Joel his coffee as he emerged from the bathroom, whistling, clearly in a good mood. 

“Hey cuteness,” he sat down at the kitchen island. “so I’ll meet you at 3:30 at the doctor’s office, right?” 

“That’s right.” 

“What are you thinking about? Did you wake up during the night again?”

“I did not. Actually what I was thinking about was getting another cat.” 

“So soon?”

“My life’s not whole without a furry creature in it,” she smiled down into her mug. “anyway there’s plenty of time for that later on. You and me can go to the shelter and pick one out together.” 

“I’d like that. I gotta get going in a few so I can teach a class in first aid.” Joel smiled at Katherine, glancing down at her figure surreptitiously. Teaching a class was always interesting to him and he wondered what he was going to encounter that day. 

“You’re so giving. Yeah, I need to get going too.” they finished their coffee, kissed goodbye and left. 

Joel whiled away some time by window shopping at the local mall, taking a quick peek inside a baby store. The frilly lace and pastel colors offended his eyes as he preferring something a little more neutral in that day and age. He was certainly handy with a screwdriver but some of those cribs looked pretty intimidating to put up. Wasn’t there something called basic anymore? 

One white crib sat in the far end of the store with a gaudy looking mobile mounted on the side. If Joel had his way the crib would be painted dark green with a deep blue mat and the silly fairy tale characters on the mobile would be real birds that their child would see when they were old enough. The firefighter could see it now; he and Katherine holding their baby as they came home, the both of them being doting parents, taking their child out for nature walks, instilling a love of history and science, taking them outside to learn about the natural world.. just like he had done growing up. 

“Joel?” a kittenish squeaky tone of voice spoke at his side. Immediately a blonde mane filled his vision and a pair of green eyes attached smiled up at him. 

“Christina?” 

“Yeah,” she said in the breathy voice that made it always sound like she’d just gotten laid and was still in a post orgasmic state. “I’m in town for a few weeks and would love it if we could have coffee together sometime.” she smiled through lips full of loud red lipstick and heavy makeup. The firefighter tried not to grimace as the words ‘painted whore’ filled his mind. 

“I better make it clear that I’m in a steady relationship with a great girl. You’re not going to win me back under any circumstances.” he said, drawing the line before Christina could cross it. Now she would be making a fool of herself and he would secretly enjoy it. What did he ever seen in that girl in the first place? She was vain, vapid, only laughed if someone else was making a joke and as far as he could see she had no sense of humor. 

Her face fell slightly. “Oh. Well, I’ve been called to consult on a case regarding that Thorndike character and he’s trying to ditch paying his ex wife’s alimony.” 

“He’s a slimeball.” memories of what Katherine said he did to her bubbled up. 

“Well, he pays good,” Joel’s eyes flashed. Was she accepting more than her due lawyer’s retainer fee? It was very likely but he wasn’t going to play into any of Christina’s mind games. “nice to see ya!” she hustled off, making Joel narrow his eyes. She was quite a gossip and the fact that she’d found him in front of a baby store would give her the wrong idea. 

No, it was the right idea but the wrong person was getting it. The firefighter tuned himself out of the Christina wary mentality and hustled to his SUV. 

“Katherine is much better than Christina ever will be,” he resolved, turning on the car and leaving the parking lot. “my love, my life.” 

Teaching the first aid class was old hat to him; Joel pulled into the Red Cross parking lot, picked up his folder full of handouts, found the right classroom and surveyed the motley collection before him. There were about 10 people of various ages who looked ready to learn. The firefighter only taught about three or four classes per quarter as part of his community outreach but this lot looked more daunting than most. It was easy to feel intimidated but he wasn’t going to let his mind rule over him by fear. Was that how Katherine felt sometimes? 

Undeterred in the least he knew the standard procedure; write your name on the white board, open with a joke or two, and the rest would fall into place. Reaching for the red marker he thought; you got this. 

**

The day flew by for Katherine and not a moment too soon. She left as soon as the bell rang, got into the car and went into the doctor’s office. The teacher was weighed, her height was measured, and she was shown into the ultrasound room right off the bat. Joel burst in a few minutes later, a little red in the face and apologizing. 

“Doing the old transvaginal on you are they?” Katherine had been in the process of covering up her lower half and putting her feet in the cold stirrups. The firefighter adjusted her so she was more comfortable, draped the blanket over her so she was nice and warm. “I don’t want anyone seeing that part of you but me.” he teased, sitting in the chair next to the uncomfortable exam cot she had to lie on. 

“Well that wish will be destroyed. You should have known that the sacred ground you love so much is going to become a bit of an open territory for the next nine months,” Katherine teased him. “this is just a dating ultrasound to see how old it is then we’ll have a respite until the 20 week anatomy scan.” 

“Must confess that I’m not used to seeing you lying like that without me under you.” he shot right back with a smirk. Just then the technician came in and got to work. 

“There, you can see it now,” on the screen they could see a discernable blob that was vaguely human. “looks to be about 8 weeks. You can see the heart there too.” 

The image on the screen seemed to hypnotize both of them for a long moment. Joel found himself looking with pride and happiness that he’d done his duty as a man and gotten Katherine pregnant yet at the same time he gazed at the screen with an emotion he was unfamiliar with. It was protective and loving at the same time; a desire to nurture. It must have been fatherly love, he thought. Now he knew what dads felt when they looked upon their children whether born or not. 

Katherine felt the same way in most respects. She felt like she was doing her duty as a lady and had secured a wonderful man to be her partner. Glancing over at Joel she saw that he had a glimmer of tears in his eyes which shocked her. Nothing seemed to shake him up and yet there he was; an ultrasound image of his unborn child had brought him to his knees. The teacher squeezed his hand, making him look down at her. 

“It seems more real now,” he admitted, echoing her thought. “I think that it feels right, what we’re doing.” 

“Amen to that.” she smiled. 

The baby was determined to be about 9 weeks, an ultrasound picture was printed out and given to them, then they were allowed to leave the room. Katherine got her blood drawn, was warned that her symptoms would start to intensify if they hadn’t already, and gave her a list of guidelines to adhere to. 

“So what do you want to do tonight?” Joel asked her in the parking lot. “The shelter’s still open.” 

“Let’s go audition new cats,” it was only 4 PM. “I’d like a younger one this time.” 

“All right. Let’s drop your car off-no, you follow me then we can go back to my place. Have you got your overnight bag?”

Katherine laughed and held it up from where she’d tossed it in the backseat. “I bring it with me now religiously.” the two of them went over the local animal rescue shelter and with the counselor they looked at many cats. 

Stepping into one of the multi cat rooms Joel was surprised by a mixed breed cat that had what looked like bull’s eyes on each side of him. The cat was greenish tan with black markings, big green eyes and a big raccoon tail. He looked up at Joel with a big meow and nuzzled him around the ankles. The firefighter sat down in a chair while the cat promptly jumped in his lap. With a few loud meows Joel rubbed the cat’s ear which produced a barely audible purr. 

“So I see you’ve met our newest edition! He came in with a batch of abandoned kittens and he drove his foster mother up the wall. This one doesn’t have a name yet and he’s a cat who is fun to play with.” the counselor told them. 

“A cat with no fear, huh?” Katherine petted him, thinking that Joel liked him already. The cat licked her hand companionably, giving her a little purr and a wide eyed glance with the big eyes. “I like him.” 

“Good! The other counselors call him devil cat because he gives the others a hard time. He’ll do great as the only cat.” 

“A devil cat, huh?” the teacher smiled. “Up to you, honey. I’m game to take him on.” 

“I was waiting for you to say that,” Joel gave her a devilish smile. He picked up the cat and stood up. “I dub thee Lucifer!” the cat yawned, apparently not amused. 

“I can see I started something.” Katherine told the counselor who just laughed. The couple took Lucifer, put him in a cat carrier on loan to them, then signed off on all the paperwork which confirmed the adoption. The cat would come with a free visit to the vet to get checked out and fortunately there was one open. 

The vet checked out Lucifer from stem to stern, announced he was perfectly healthy and recommended the same brand of cat food Katherine had already been feeding Mick on. Katherine stopped in at her house, grabbed all of her cat paraphenalia, brought it over to Joel’s house and helped him set everything up. 

“Where is he?”

“Lucifer? He’s in the carrier over there. I opened the door so he could come out.” 

“Oh.” Joel had put the carrier near the dining table, the door was open, but Lucifer didn’t feel able to come out. 

“Is this normal for cats?” Joel asked Katherine as he took out the ultrasound photo and put it up on the fridge door. “I have no idea how this process goes.” 

“This is par for the course,” she assured him as she put her bag in the living room. “when I first took in Mick he whined and cried in the laundry room for the first day. He got bolder and claimed the whole house as his own. We’ll get a litter box set up in the pantry here,” Katherine showed him how to do it, put out food and water bowls where he would be able to reach them then the two of them had supper. “tonight be prepared to not get a lot of sleep. Lucifer is going to pace around and cry tonight.” 

True to her words Katherine was right. She didn’t wake up but Joel sure did, hearing Lucifer bump into the coffee table then sit in the middle of the floor and wail miserably. Despite Katherine telling him to just ignore it he couldn’t. Joel got up and went out to where the cat was sitting, illuminated dimly by the the flashing blue light of his DVR. 

“What’s going on there, kitty?” the cat didn’t move so Joel picked him up. Lucifer didn’t struggle, simply stared into Joel’s blue eyes. “Life will be so much better for you now that you’re with us. We will treat you very well. I just thought of something,” the firefighter put the cat down, grabbed a few of his old ratty t-shirts and made a little nest in the carrier. “there you go. You might feel better now.” 

Lucifer gave a little meow of thanks, burrowed into the shirts and lay down. Joel watched him for a few minutes and went back to bed.

**

Katherine awakened the following morning slowly, looking out the window to see a gray and rainy day. Something was creeping up her leg, she turned and looked to see that Lucifer had apparently gotten over his shyness and was getting his paws all over her. Before she could stop him Lucifer sprang up to her head, started to lick her ear, making her laugh. 

“What’s so funny?” Joel entered the room toweling off his hair. 

“This one! He was licking my ear!” she sat up, picking Lucifer up and cuddling him. Joel giggled, chucking the towel in the hamper. 

“I almost forgot; yesterday my ex girlfriend came to town. She’s a lawyer and says that she was hired by some apparent bigwig.” 

“Your ex?” Katherine frowned. 

“I said that I’m in a committed relationship and I’m very much in love with you. She’s a bit of a gossip and only in town for a few weeks.” 

“Oh.” 

“Now I only want to reassure you that I love you both and I would not put our relationship in jeopardy-you’ve given me much more than she ever could.” 

“I’m-” a look of pain crossed her face, her hand went to her left arm as Joel walked over to the side of the bed and watched her closely. Lucifer batted at a stray threat from the comforter, happily oblivious to what was going on. 

“What is it, hon?”

“It’s a rainy day so my left arm is hurting me. Remember I told you that I broke it? I’m going to be uncomfortable and it’s only Tuesday.” 

“Where did you break it?”

“I had a compound fracture near the elbow.” Joel examined it, not seeing a scar but believing Katherine as she groaned with the aching pain. 

“How can we make that better for you?” 

“Well, technically you can’t. I just ride it out.” they got up and got ready for the day. 

Over the next 2 weeks Katherine succeeded in cleaning out her house, started putting her things in boxes to be moved over to Joel’s place, then started experiencing some of the “joys” of being pregnant. She had some morning sickness, increased urination much to her consternation, but Joel was there to help her out. After a bout with the morning sickness (which usually bothered her in the evenings not mornings), she would lie on the couch or in bed with Joel just holding her and not saying a word. 

“Well, I think that’s the last of your things from this house!” Joel moved the last box from the garage into the Explorer. Katherine left the keys on the kitchen island along with a note of thanks to the landlord for being so kind to her. 

“Hmm.” she had redirected her mail to Joel’s address so she was surprised to see one last envelope sticking out of the mail slot. Katherine opened it up and glanced at it, then dropped it with a gasp. 

“What is it?” Joel picked up the piece of paper. “I know everything about you. Run away before it’s too late. Signed an avenger.” 

“Who in the hell would do that to me?” 

“I have an idea; how about we take this to the cops and make an inquiry.” Joel’s voice went steely. Katherine had left her car at his place so they went into the local police station, showed the document to the desk sergeant who assigned them an officer to look into it. 

“Hey, it’s Sylvia!” the firefighter recognized the short officer who had curly gray hair and laughing blue eyes. “How are you? How are those boys of yours doing?” 

“They’re doing better, Joel! You inspired one of them to become a paramedic!” the police officer sat them down at her desk, introducing herself to Katherine. “Sylvia MacDonald.” 

“Katherine Maguire.” they shook hands. 

“Joel’s told me some about you; I’m glad to meet you. Now, I understand there was something fishy going on today.” 

“Yeah; Katherine’s moving out of her place and this turns up in the mail. No address, nothing.” he handed the paper over. Sylvia read it over then put it in an evidence bag. 

“Now I’ll file a report and look in on where your ex has been, Katherine. I’m very sure he sent this, maybe he got word that you’re dating Joel.” 

“No, I keep the relationship pretty quiet. My parents know and the guys at the firehouse know but they wouldn’t rat us out. I know that Art is facing a lawsuit over mistreating employees but he’s left Katherine alone for almost two years; why is he concentrating on her now?” 

“Because he’s almost bankrupt personally,” Sylvia conducted a search of the police database. “says in our files that he lost another one of his properties due to foreclosure, the one in South Portland. He’s going to lose the lawsuit certain sure and he had to mortgage the last two properties in Bangor and Dover.” 

“Well, I’m moving in with Joel does that have any effect on my alimony? Do I not get it because I’m living with my boyfriend now?” 

Sylvia sighed. “The laws are dicey on that. In our local jurisdiction you can keep it as long as there’s no marriage license on the books.” 

“That makes it simple for us.” 

“That’s where the simplicity ends. He’s a tricky man to track, lawsuits can take awhile to resolve, and unless there’s more threats this isn’t much to go on. I know he’s the most likely in this case to harass you, Katherine, but we need proof.” 

“Well I just want to keep you guys informed of what’s going on. I know it isn’t much right now but in case my security’s compromised..” Katherine seemed to lose steam, glancing at Joel. 

He understood. “What Katherine means to say is that we’re expecting a baby and we want to be sure we’re safe.” 

“Well, congrats for one thing,” Sylvia winked. “another thing is that we will do everything possible to protect all three of you.” 

“Thanks,” the couple stood up. “I don’t know if this helps but my old ex girlfriend Christina is in town, saying she’s been hired as a lawyer to help someone out. I can’t verify who but she’s getting paid really well which makes me think that she’s working for Arthur.” 

“Interesting. What’s her last name, Joel?”

“LaFiore.” he spelled it out. “she and I had a fling back in New Hampshire years ago but she’s a manipulator of people.”

“Oh, not another one of them.” Sylvia groaned. “I’ll keep you both informed.” 

**

Another week passed by, now it was the beginning of October and the Fireman’s Ball was almost upon them. Katherine was enjoying a lazy day at home one Sunday while Joel was on shift at the firehouse, figuring out what color scheme she wanted for the house. Joel had given her carte blanche to change anything she wanted so she kept thinking about it. Lucifer jumped onto her and sat down on her belly, shutting his eyes while she rubbed his ears. 

“You know what? I think the only room we’d need to paint is the nursery. I don’t want to change his colors.” she didn’t want to ruin the hard work he had put into the house so it was easy to only change one room. Katherine personally didn’t like dark colors inside but he had painted his house like that so she wanted to keep it the way it was. 

“Oh!” Katherine yawned. “Who would have thought that growing another life would be so tiring! I’m only 11 weeks now and I can barely keep my eyes open through the school day.” thank god for coffee so she could muddle through. 

Their first week together had been a learning experience. Joel was particular about stains and spills, a bit of a neat freak in other words where Katherine wasn’t as fussy as he tended to be. She didn’t like visibly dirty rugs, vacuumed every other day, and washed the floors every week. Twice a month she washed the bed linens and had an enjoyable time trying to teach Joel how to fold a fitted sheet. 

Katherine never wasted much time on cooking, being lazy by nature in that respect. She would often just made a sandwich and camp out on the couch but Joel had to have a proper supper and he made her cook with him so it wasn’t such a chore. Without even realizing it Joel had made sure that Katherine was getting a healthy supper so that their child would get one as well. 

She had set up her piano downstairs at first, but Joel had insisted that she put the keyboard in the spare room next to their own. Sometimes when he came in at night and his mind was troubled too much to talk, she would play piano for him which put him to sleep. At some point they would get her a real drum set so she could keep up but for now Katherine contented herself with playing the one in the studio. 

On that Sunday Joel was pulling out a fire hose to put out yet another structure fire. Someone had been cooking carelessly and brought up a raging grease fire. Common sense would dictate you cover a grease fire in a pan with a lid but the firefighter knew that common sense was out the window nowadays. Frowning in the thick smoke, Joel pulled on his gear, got Ben to help him open up the fire hydrant and tweaked the pump on the engine. Securing his fire hat he pulled on his fire retardant gloves, beckoned to Charlie, and they launched a fire attack. 

The attack took a long ten minutes to execute but when they emerged they were happy it was a single story house and nobody was left inside. Ben and Charlie attacked with the hose, Joel followed with another hose, going inside the house and hosing it all down. 

“Sir, stand back, please!” a cop directed a big angry burly guy who kept bellowing about how he wanted to retrieve his stuff. Joel, Ben and Charlie tried to block his way back but the guy pushed Joel and Charlie right out of the way like they were nothing. Unfortunately the guy didn’t know his own strength, sent Ben and Charlie in the direction of the street, thankfully they weren’t hit by traffic. Joel was flung in the direction of the engine, hit his head on the instrument panel and lay motionless. 

“Joel!” Ben reached him first, kneeling down and checking his friend for a head wound. “Charlie, help me get him out of the gear!” the firefighters took Joel out of his turnout gear, first unstrapping the air cylinder harness of of him. Ben winced as he felt a lump on the Joel’s head. “He’s gonna feel that one for a few days. We’d best get him checked out.” 

“Right!” Charlie brought the gurney and with a cop’s help, they put Joel on the gurney, took the rest of his gear off, then conducted a more thorough assessment in the ambulance. 

“Unit 4 to base: one of our firefighters sustained a head injury, transporting him in for assessment and evaluation.” 

“Is the firefighter conscious?”

“Negative, base.” 

“Transport.” Charlie left the ambulance to talk to the cop in charge and the man who assaulted Joel. He gave a witness statement, the saving grace was the cop had seen the whole thing. The aggressive man would be brought up on charges by the fire department’s team of lawyers and made to pay for Joel’s hospital bills. 

When Joel was brought into the emergency department, he was quickly tagged with a bracelet, brought to x-ray and then put in a room for the night. Ben wanted to stay but he had to go out with Charlie to another case. Neither one of them thought about calling Katherine at the time but it was likely they would keep Joel overnight for observation. 

It was lucky for everyone involved that Joel had revised his emergency contact information just in case something happened to him. Katherine’s cell phone blared on in the dead of night. Tomorrow was Monday, another school day, and the interruption would not be welcomed. She groped for the phone, said hello and listened. 

“Ms. Maguire?”

“Yes?” 

“I’m nurse Brian here at the general hospital in town. Your other half, Joel came in with a head injury tonight.” 

“Oh god is he OK?” she was instantly awake. 

“He’s fine,” the nurse reassured her. “he’s listed you as his emergency contact. The paramedic who brought him in said the victim of a fire tried to go in and get his stuff back, then basically assaulted all 3 firefighters The other two are fine, battered but fine. Joel’s only here until he wakes up when we can examine him and give him the all clear to go home.”

“I understand. I suppose it’s stupid to ask when you think he’d wake up.” 

“Head wounds are tricky things.” 

“I’m on my way.” Katherine rang off, got into suitable clothes that could also pass for teacher clothes, and went into the hospital. 

**

“Where’s Joel Harrison?” she stopped by the desk. The customer representative pointed her in the right direction, she saw Joel being tended to by a doctor and entered the room. “I’m Katherine Maguire, his girlfriend.” 

“Hello, Ms. Maguire,” the doctor shook her hand. “Joel here is showing that he’s close to waking up so I’d say you got here just in time.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” she sat in the vinyl recliner next to her boyfriend. The doctor gave her the lowdown, telling her the x-rays were clear and he would be good to go once he regained consciousness. The teacher lay back in the recliner, one hand on her stomach, noting that it had started to feel somewhat heavy lately, then closed her eyes. 

Joel opened up his eyes a few hours later, glancing at his left side to see Katherine sleeping next to him in a recliner. He wanted to clasp her hand, then noticed that one was over her belly. She had been having a bit of a rough time with morning sickness but was told that it would pass though agonizingly slowly. Katherine had lost some color even though she had done both of her infusions. The firefighter had been there to comfort her as much as he could though often she didn’t want it, preferring to sit and play piano to soothe herself. 

It was 11 weeks already. Joel dropped his gaze to her pelvis, not seeing any bump there but he would before long. The teacher had hoped she would remain bump free for the Fireman’s Ball next weekend then she would retreat into her fall and winter clothes. The two of them were eagerly awaiting the day when she would feel the baby moving. Joel closed his eyes and went to sleep, dreaming of that day. 

Several hours later Katherine woke up at her usual time, glanced over at Joel and noticed that he wasn’t unconscious anymore. She stood up, adjusting herself as the new weight in her pelvis caused her to shift a little bit. The teacher perched on the edge of the bed, kissing him awake. 

“Hey,” Joel’s blue eyes opened up. “when did you get here?”

“About 3 AM,” she told him. “the nurse called me, I took care of the red tape, then camped out in here until you woke up.” 

“You couldn’t have been very comfortable.” 

“I managed. Now we need to get you into the car and get home,” she winced and put a hand to her belly. “my pelvic ligaments are slackening and it’s painful.” 

“You’re always holding your belly now; what is that about?” 

“My junk feels heavy,” she grinned. “if I think it’s heavy now how is it going to feel later on when I’m bigger!” 

Joel was discharged soon after he woke up, Katherine brought him home, told him not to overexert himself and went to work. He told her that he’d be resting all day which would be very boring and he didn’t need looking after.


	14. Chapter 14

The Fireman’s Ball had come. Katherine was exactly 12 weeks now and that Friday night she got into a rented dress which was a burnt orange color. It was a floor length opera dress as the ball was a formal affair, and Katherine pulled the lace up strings at the back as tight as possible. She tied the strings expertly, then turned and surveyed herself in the mirror. 

“No hint of a bump on me yet. I should be glad it’s so early.” she muttered, hearing Joel swearing in the other room, wrestling with a stiff collar on his shirt. 

Katherine did not have the wrap that traditionally came with the opera dress, choosing to show off her own jewelry. She preferred the conservative approach, picking up a piece of costume jewelry she’d bought at a local shop. It was a necklace of rhinestones, tapered at the sides and the front of it was bent into a bow. At the very middle there was a large rhinestone teardrop pendant that settled right above her bosom. Her chest was constantly sore lately, culminating in telling Joel he’d have to rub her chest down nightly to make it bearable; not that he’d complain. 

With matching teardrop earrings in her ears, she pulled her hair back and fixed it in two loose barrettes at the sides. She’d curled her hair to make it look better earlier so she’d have soft ringlets to show off. For makeup she put on dark orange eyeshadow on the creases, lighter on the lids, then used some gold shadow on her brow bones. The teacher put a little gold eyeshadow on her lower lash line to brighten up her eyes a little bit, put her light red lipstick on and she was good to go. 

Tucking her lipstick into a concealed pocket of the dress, Katherine put on her black pumps, took a final glance in the mirror and went to Joel. 

He was looking handsome and had recovered very well from his mild concussion. Joel tried not to make Katherine wait on him but for the first day she did. The second day he felt completely back to normal and resumed his shift at the firehouse. It was like nothing had happened and Joel brushed off the whole incident as one of those things. He’d suffered other injuries on the job, cuts, scratches, sprained limbs, etc. Joel had only been knocked out once before but he couldn’t remember why or how it happened. 

“Well, look at you!” the firefighter turned and appraised his pregnant girlfriend in her dress approvingly. “You clean up well.” 

“Yeah; I feel like a painted monkey in a dress,” Joel laughed as she helped him fix his studs, straightened his collar, then told him he looked like a million bucks. “at least you don’t need your hat inside.” 

“True that. How is it that you don’t even have a tiny bump yet?” Joel’s hands passed over her pelvis and belly. Katherine pressed them to her just for a moment, her long fingers sported deep burgundy nail polish. His calloused hands felt rough to her smooth ones and sent a little flash like lightning through him; proof that he was still crushing on her ever since the day they first met. Katherine looked like she was thinking the same thing. 

“It’ll get there just give it time. I can wait; feels like I’m already carrying something heavy.”

“To be expected. Let’s go” they got into the Explorer and went down to the venue where the ball was to be held. 

**

The venue was rather dimly lit with a dark atmosphere but a four person band was playing on the stage, firefighters looking uncomfortable in their dress uniforms were milling around. Ben and Charlie each came up to Joel and Katherine, making small talk for a long time until Joel started getting restless and asked Katherine to dance. 

“Figure I’d ask you first before these two do.” Katherine laughed, accepted his hand, then walked onto the dance floor. In front of everyone Joel remembered what Katherine had taught him, didn’t step on her feet, then other couples started up dancing around them. “I think we’re the envy of the ballroom.” 

“Well, I have the most handsome partner so yes,” she teased him right back. “nobody wants to be the first to dance so it takes a ballsy couple to break the gridlock.” 

Joel dipped her a little bit, thinking he was a very lucky guy indeed. The teacher put one hand on Joel’s left lapel as a little thrill ran through her, making her go hot and cold at the same time. How on earth was she so lucky to score such a guy? Maybe it had been fate that day when they met each other. 

“What are you thinking?” those blue eyes never missed anything did they?

“How lucky I am to be having a child with you.” was all she needed to say. The firefighter was glad the room was dark so nobody would see the flush in his cheeks. 

Midway into the evening, after supper and lots of dancing, Joel asked Katherine privately if she would do them the honor and sing something with the band. 

“I would love to!” her eyes lit up. “Get me noticed a little more.” 

“I’ll have a word with the chief to make sure it’s OK.” he hustled back and told her to go for it. Katherine happily went back, introducing herself and asking if she could sing with them. They agreed on a song that would showcase her unique voice and struck the opening chord. Not one of the band could play the piano so she pulled the keyboard over, adjusted the mike and began to play a riff. 

“Hello, I’m Katherine Maguire,” she introduced herself. “thanks to the fire chief who OK’d me to sing a little song I want to sing this next one to my special man out there. I bet you guys will recognize this tune.” she switched the setting to the electric piano, put her fingers on the keys and began to play. 

“Oh, you’re my best friend that I ever had...” another song by Queen. Joel listened as Katherine’s voice sang out across the room, filling every corner and crevice seamlessly with sound. Effortlessly she crooned the love song, holding the audience stupefied until the song was over. Nobody would have guessed that Katherine’s strong voice could also be soft and slow but still have such power. 

At the end of the night, Joel was waiting for Katherine to make her way outside when Christina showed up. She hadn’t been at the function, being in normal workday clothes, and appeared slightly agitated. The firefighter thought she was using drugs but her pupils weren’t dilated and she just looked nervous to him. 

“Joel, I know that you’re dating Katherine now and I’m sure you two are happy but I feel obligated to warn you of something,” she began, tripping slightly in her heels. “it’s Art. He’s got something against Katherine and wants her dead.” 

“How do you know this info and are you willing to give a sworn statement?” 

Christina gulped and nodded, eyes wandering around everywhere, clearly in fear that someone would see her. 

“Joel, who is this?” Katherine came up beside him. 

“This is my ex, Christina. She’s just told me something interesting.” 

“Not here,” Christina told him firmly. “he’ll come after me too.” 

“Art, I’m guessing. He has this manipulation trick down to an art form,” Katherine proclaimed. “she’s high as a kite.” 

“No, she’s not. I can tell.” Joel contradicted Katherine, not seeing any dilated pupils or slurred speech. His ex girlfriend was simply scared out of her mind. Arthur must have said something to her that really shook her to the core as her facade of being cool had melted completely away. 

“Why don’t we get in the car and go down to the police station for a statement?” Christina got on board the Explorer with the others and bewildered, Joel took everyone down. 

Luckily Sylvia was staffing the desk that night and asked Christina for everything that she knew. The lawyer squared her shoulders and looked up as Sylvia started the recording device. 

“It all happened in September when Art got slapped with that mistreatment lawsuit by his employees. The property was foreclosed on and another one recently closed down in South Portland so he’s out his Bar Harbor and SoPo locations which took a big hit. He mortgaged the other two properties to the bank and they’re still turning a profit so he squeaks by all right. Once the lawsuit is settled or so he hopes, the alimony to Katherine is going to be cut-he’s still trying to cut her out of his life financially.” 

“Why would he do that to me? He’s left me alone for a year.” 

“Because you ruined his business reputation by whistleblowing on his life pretty much,” Christina explained. “you brought every aspect of his business holdings that were bad to the public eye and now he can’t get new properties or new people to run the businesses that he has. People just laugh at him. So he hired me on, wanting to launch a new defamatory campaign against you so he’d have some credibility at least. I tried to help him out but Katherine here has a squeaky clean reputation. He wanted to defame you enough to lose your job but it didn’t work. I may be a lawyer but even I draw the line at making shit up.” 

“Well, thanks for that.” Joel exchanged glances with Sylvia. 

“Just know that he’s absolutely ruthless and he told me himself that he’s been consorting with hit men to have you taken out, Katherine. He won’t forgive for anything and he goes to the most ruthless extremes-the man’s cruelty knows no bounds.” 

Joel paled, glancing at Katherine who didn’t look very surprised at the facts. She waited until the interview was all over then with Sylvia and Christina walking out of the station said, “You know, it doesn’t surprise me that he’d stoop to this low-” a shot rang out, Sylvia and Christina dodged to one side of the hall, Joel instinctively covering Katherine and dodging to the other side. 

Sylvia called the other cops in the building as more shots were fired. Katherine huddled close to Joel and prayed that it would end soon. The firefighter saw where the shots were being fired, spied Sylvia returning fire, but other than that he wasn’t trained to do anything else besides wait for the police to arrive on site. 

It was over five minutes in. Sylvia lowered her weapon, shouted for the others who quickly set off in pursuit of the shooter. Joel and Katherine stood up shakily while Christina was not so lucky. She had been shot twice, one in the left side and once in the left leg. Joel took the first aid kit Sylvia grabbed, donned the gloves, then directed Katherine to apply direct pressure on the left side wound. Katherine took care not to get blood on the dress, then complied with Joel’s orders. 

“Thanks for shedding some light on the whole situation with Art,” Katherine told her seriously. “I really mean it.” 

“Take care of Joel. He’s a really special guy.” neither woman knew if Joel had heard them as he was ransacking the first aid box for something. 

“I will. You take good care of yourself now.” the ambulance came, Christina was loaded in and they took off to the emergency room. Joel, Sylvia and Katherine gave statements as to what happened then they could all go home. 

“It’s almost midnight,” Katherine was exhausted as she clambered aboard the Explorer. “an uneventful night turned eventful, damn. I don’t know how you do it.” 

Joel had to smirk as he turned on the SUV. “Adrenaline and a lot of it. Lucky tomorrow’s Saturday.” 

“Very true. We get to sleep in.” 

**

Late the next morning Joel only woke up because Lucifer stomped all over him begging to be fed. Katherine woke up reluctantly, got up, then zipped her dress back into the garment bag so she could take it back on Monday. The two of them went to the lake for one last boat ride, trimmed the lawn one last time and Katherine put away all of her lawn ornaments. 

“Got to say I’ve never seen the outside of this house looking so good.” 

“Well, this time next year it will be littered with toys and I’ll have to remember to get you a nice hammock,” she nudged him. “isn’t your birthday coming up?” 

“Well technically it was last night. We had our little celebration which had an unfortunate ending.” 

“Happy birthday then. What became of Christina?” 

“She’ll pull through. Sylvia texted me this morning.” 

“Good. So where do we go from here?” 

“Art doesn’t know where you’ve gone, there are no more notes, and he doesn’t know who I am.” 

“Hon, your life could be at risk associating with me. I’m not shocked that he wants me dead-he’s always been a real asshole. I don’t want you to put your life in danger through knowing me.” 

“I know. It’s a tricky problem to handle. The only thing that’s certain is that I don’t want to lose you. I want this over with.” 

“Me too but what do we do? It’s not going to be too long before I start looking pregnant. In about two weeks I’ll pop out a bit. We have to do something for our future together.” 

“That I don’t know, babe,” the firefighter sighed. “we have to wait and see.” 

A week later Katherine was finishing her latest episode of morning sickness, rinsing out her mouth and checking herself out in the mirror. It seemed that pregnancy aged her a little bit but she wasn’t hung up on her looks like other girls. She turned off the bathroom light and went out to the couch where Joel would keep her company. He’d just gotten off shift, both of them were exhausted from the day’s work, so they fell asleep with the TV blaring on. 

“And now for some gossip!” the gossip rag on the local channel blared on an hour later, rousing them both from their dreams. “Word has it that the ex Mrs. Thorndike is a new beau and is rumored to be pregnant by him! Stick around!” 

“What on earth?” Joel said sleepily, grabbing the remote as the loud theme music played. Katherine blinked her bleary eyes as the gossip host came back on the screen after the commercials. 

“So the ex Mrs. Thorndike, Katherine Maguire, the pretty piano and kindergarten teacher has been smitten with a handsome firefighter for awhile now! The two of them were spotted leaving a gynecologist’s office late last month so there’s no reason to wonder why that is now, is there? Katherine has been very quiet ever since her epic divorce two years ago and someone tipped off your loyal gossip host that she has a new man in her life and is possibly pregnant by him!” 

“I know who could have tipped him off,” Joel growled. “Christina.” 

“Shhh.” 

“Anyway, loyalties notwithstanding, Art Thorndike has lost another property! Yes, he’s going down the tubes so I say good riddance to him, the evil louse!” 

“At least he’s on our side,” Katherine felt a little wave of nausea but fortunately it passed. Joel gazed down at her in mild concern. “in a matter of about two weeks I will be free from this nausea misery.” 

“Should I apologize for knocking you up?”

“Don’t bother! It’s just a bump in the road.” 

“Speaking of which I can see a little-”

“Don’t!” she fended Joel off as he started tickling her, making her laugh. 

Halloween came and went and yet nothing was heard from Arthur Thorndike. Sylvia kept her ears to the ground as much as possible but knew that he was entangled with the lawsuit and probably wasn’t going to attack Katherine until it was settled or the court case got deferred. 

“Well, Joel, I have a surprise for you,” Katherine sat on the couch one night wearing her bathrobe. “I think you’ll like it.” 

“Oh, what is it?” 

“Oh just this,” she showed him a small bulge sitting at her waist. “it started up a few weeks ago and I’m surprised that you didn’t notice then. Now we have a definitive sign there’s something going on underneath.” 

“When’s the halfway ultrasound? What week are you on again?” Joel let Katherine get in his lap, making her bump stick out even further.

“Seventeen now. Well, it will be 18 in 2 days.” 

“Wow, 18 weeks since I shot a load into you that was quite potent. How you’ve grown!” Joel kissed the bump, letting all of his worries fly out through the door. Katherine’s chest had been filling out more since she’d gotten pregnant and he’d been rubbing them down each night. The teacher had been starting to feel a little more energetic lately and was feeling quite frisky. 

“You started all of this. I just am finishing it,” she teased. “I feel more energy coming back to me so we can go ahead and screw like horny teens just like we used to.” 

“Oh!” he lit up, taking Katherine and gently slamming her down onto the couch, getting on top of her and taking his pants off. “The ultrasound is scheduled for Thanksgiving break, right?” 

“No. Joel, it’s only November first. This Saturday I’ll be 18 weeks. Twenty weeks in two weeks then we go for the ultrasound.” he kissed her lips, her neck and started working his way down. Katherine moaned happily while he started working her over. 

**

Twenty weeks came and with it the ultrasound scan. Joel was on call that day and he was hoping his pager didn’t go off while Katherine was lying on a table, her bump coated liberally with gel and getting screened. 

“So how’s it treating you? Want to know the gender?” the tech asked them. 

“Yes!” the two said together. The eerie silhouette of the unborn baby on the screen loomed up while the tech tried to get a good anatomy scan. It took a few minutes but the tech told them that they were having a little girl. 

“Wow!” Joel was ecstatic but then his pager went off. “Oh, water main leak a few blocks from here! I’ll leave you the car, sweetie.” he pressed the keys into her hand and reluctantly left the office. Inside he was jumping for joy at the idea of a little girl to take care of, mind already running wild with ideas for games that he would be able to play with her. 

Katherine finished the screening, cleaned off her belly and put her skirt back on. Loose fitting skirts were where the comfort was for her and she would be able to keep using them after she gave birth. Maternity jeans were different; she couldn’t use them after she had the baby so she wouldn’t buy them. 

“I’ve got to get to the studio.” getting up was starting to become a process for her now. She managed, with her bump sticking out a bit in front and checked out, going to the car. Lately Joel had to be on call more as the firefighters were taking vacations left and right. His vacation was coming up in December during Christmas week when Katherine’s vacation was. The two of them were going to visit his family and start new Christmas traditions. 

As for Arthur Thorndike the case had been delayed again but when the shit hit the proverbial fan he would come looking for her. Sylvia was prowling around, looking for any hint that he was intending to move in on Katherine but nothing had come up. The lawyer, Christina, had also left town when she was discharged from the hospital and hadn’t been seen or heard of since. 

At the studio Katherine was beginning to despair of her voiceover career. No other offers since the jingle about the car months ago and she had stopped coming into the studio on a regular basis. She had decided to branch out into doing acting though there were some promising leads. Katherine really needed acting lessons but there would be no money left over for that once the baby was born. 

“It seems all I need to do now is concentrate on teaching and having a baby. Damn! I really wanted to make something of myself!” she swore, sitting down at the drums. Mentally she was extremely disappointed with her voiceover career, trying to endure and hit it big for over a year but it wasn’t working out. Depressed, she banged out her frustrations on the drums and had to reluctantly agree that her career as a voiceover artist had never taken off. Now she had a baby coming there was no way she could afford to branch out which was very frustrating. 

“I think this will be my last night.” she got up off the drums then walked out the door, remembering the time when she sang that jingle for the cruise line then the one for the car. The only two successes in her short lived career, she reflected moodily. Putting a hand on her little bump she turned out the lights for the last time, sniffling in the hallway on the way to the car. Katherine went straight home, feeling more depressed by the minute. Joel greeted her with a smile that stretched from ear to ear, clearly telling her that there was something more going on. Of course with him it had to be something happy, her inner voice told her. He was the happy-go-lucky one in the relationship while she hadn’t amounted to anything. 

“You’ll never guess what!” he told her happily. “I got promoted to captain!” 

“Aw, good for you,” she kissed him, feigning interest. “I’m tired-think I’ll head to bed early.” she just didn’t want to be around him for the time being. Katherine wanted to be alone, to process her failed dream. 

The firefighter didn’t think twice about her going to bed early. She’d stayed at the studio for almost three hours, missed supper and looked tired to his eyes. Joel sat on the couch and picked up the remote, tuning into some mindless junk for half an hour while Lucifer walked into the living room and jumped onto the couch, sitting on the back of it and leveling his master off with a deep green stare. 

Joel stroked the animal; his fur was a lot softer than Mick’s had been. The cat purred with a deep rumbling sound. 

In the bedroom Katherine sat on the edge of the bed, face in hands, keeping her emotions contained or rather trying to. She and Joel had a good life together and it didn’t matter if she couldn’t cut it as a voiceover artist, she was at least a decent teacher. Happy that the next day was a school holiday Katherine doubled up on the dose of sleeping pills and within half an hour she was out like a light. 

**

The next morning Joel glanced at the clock on the wall. Nine AM. Katherine never slept for so long so now he was worried. Even when her morning sickness was at its worst she was always up by 7 at the latest. Getting up, he examined Katherine who looked like she was asleep, wasn’t under the influence of any drug.. unless she took more than recommended. There wasn’t anything he could do about that now except wait for her to awaken. 

“My poor girl. I know this situation with Art has us under some stress lately,” Joel put his hand on her bump. “we’ll get over it.” he had noticed that her temper was shorter lately and she’d been acting worried and tired so he naturally wrote it off to the ex husband wanting her dead. 

Katherine woke up at him rubbing her belly and gazed at him with sleepy eyes that also clearly told him that she was depressed. “What’s going on, sweetheart?” 

“I’m so damn depressed, Joel,” the teacher sighed. “I finally realized last night that my voiceover career wasn’t ever going to go anywhere so I said goodbye to it.” 

“Oh babe,” he hugged her. “I know you had your heart and soul in that career, wanting to make it big and you got two chances.” 

“Yeah, for a cruise line and a silly car! I need more than that so I can stop teaching bratty kids. My life needs more meaning and more cash.” 

“How much cash do you think that we need? We make enough.” 

“It’s not about that, Joel. The extra cash would be nice so we can go on a vacation. I’m talking about a vocation like you have. You’re a firefighter which is your whole life and I’m envious of that. I only took up teaching to get a steady job. I’m not invested in it like you are.” she sighed and closed her eyes. 

“Well, did you ever think of checking out new careers?” 

“I can’t go to school and be pregnant, Joel.” 

“No, I mean start looking at options now and take classes from home while you’re on maternity leave from the school.” he said reasonably.

“There’s an idea,” her eyes grew bright. “I was mourning the end of my voiceover career and you tell me you’ve been promoted at your job so you can imagine I wasn’t in the best of moods to celebrate your accomplishment last night.” 

“I understand.” he rubbed her back comfortingly, letting her vent. 

“I guess that made me feel inferior on some level. You’re always getting commendations from people and I get bitched at for my performance. Remember when you showed me a commendation and I got a complaint? People think the sun shines out of your ass and my entire existence is a burden on society.” 

“You really feel that way?” 

“Sometimes I do. You can call it an inferiority complex or whatever you like but I want to stand out on my own.” 

“Well, do you know that the band you sang with at the Fireman’s Ball were impressed with your vocals?” 

“Since when?”

“Since I got an email this morning asking about you!” Joel showed her the email. “They want to start gigs with you. I was going to tell you earlier and get you excited but you slept so long. Were you really upset last night? I wanted to give you space.” 

“Yeah, I was upset. I just had to work things out in my head and process it.” Katherine opened up her eyes again and glanced up at Joel who gave her a loving kiss. The firefighter hoisted up her shirt and began to run little circles on her bump happily. She wasn’t thrilled about her changing physique at all but Joel usually made her forget by reminding her that the baby was growing healthy which was all they needed to be worried about. 

“Well, chin up, my lovely lady. We have an appointment to go see my parents today and help Mom with the Thanksgiving set up, sort of a run through.” 

“When is Turkey Day anyway?” 

“In two weeks when you’ll be 22 weeks. You might be able to feel something moving from within.” he teased, making Katherine laugh. 

“I don’t know about that; I might start feeling some random movement already.” no sooner had she spoken when Katherine gasped, glanced down and put her hand on the side of her bump. “I’ll be damned.” 

“What is it?” 

“I felt something. The first sign of life!” all her depression seemed to fly away as she grabbed Joel’s hand and pressed it to her stretched out skin. The little girl inside obliged them by kicking her father’s hand then stopped. 

“I’ll be damned,” he kissed her bump. “you be good in there and stay on your best behavior for your mother!” 

“So yeah if the band wants to start rehearsing with me we can be a cover band. Helps if they know Queen, Adele and some others.” 

“I’ll email him right back while I’m thinking about it,” Joel pulled out his phone again. “let me just take a picture of your bump. Lie down so it sticks out all the way.” 

“Oh, a belly pic!” Katherine lay down for him. He snapped one to post to his facebook page, then sent it to his mother captioning it: our little girl is starting to grow fast!

“Babe, you look so sexy right now I swear to god I want you bad.” Katherine laughed as she let him climb over her, taking off his pants and her shirt. The little lump stuck up about three inches up so it wasn’t obtrusive and people wouldn’t know she was pregnant just by looking at her. Before he did anything else, Joel spread a little lotion over the bump and worked it in well, helping to prevent stretch marks. 

“I’m glad you told me how you feel,” the firefighter began as he kissed her. “I’m not a happy go lucky person, not in the least. I spent my childhood feeling inferior to my sisters and I had to work hard to get where I am today.” 

“I know but sometimes I just take things too personally.” 

“Your mood swings are definitely happening now. Won’t be long before you start craving weird shit and making me drive all over town.” 

“No, I can’t do that to you. I’ll get myself what I want and not order you around.” 

“All of your senses get sharper now so can you get a little extra pleasure from what I’m going to do to you.” Joel made out with her for a few minutes, just enough so she could get wet downstairs. He was extra demonstrative, kissing the inside of both of her wrists, necking, even getting a nibble at an earlobe before he went down to her chest, licking, sucking, nibbling away while Katherine closed her eyes in silent ecstasy. 

“Oh my two babies,” brushing his hand over the bump he kissed Katherine’s scar, her navel, then stuck two fingers into her wet pussy. “my baby right here can moan for me in such nice tones. How about I get you off with just my fingers, can you do that?” 

“Don’t make me beg.” 

“I think I will make you beg if you don’t want to do it. You will.” Joel put his fingers as far up her as he was able to. “I’m practically knocking at your cervix wall, checking to see how my daughter is getting on inside you.” 

Katherine moaned loudly. “I want you inside me.” 

“Hold on, let me just-gauge your vaginal walls here.” he invented. 

“What?” 

“Work those sweet pussy walls around my fingers,” Joel gave her a deep sexy look. “come on now. Some muscle exercises and our daughter will shoot right out of you.” 

The notion of that struck Katherine as funny so she started laughing so hard she almost went dry. The firefighter tickled Katherine’s clitoris to get her to respond quickly which worked wonders. She started to obediently work her inner walls around his fingers to make him happy. When she couldn’t take it anymore Joel raised himself up then without looking, put himself into her. 

“You’re so wet for me,” a suction noise was heard to both of them. “with the rate we screw around you’ll be spitting kids out for years.” 

“I have a three person limit.” Katherine loved the feeling of Joel inside her, it just felt right. It was like he completed her in an odd sort of way. He pulled back almost all the way out which prompted a little noise of protest from the teacher. Giggling he slowly pushed himself back in which tormented Katherine more. She worked her vaginal walls so his dick got a massage and after that he stopped teasing. 

“Three? That’s generous. I think we’d better wait and see after the birth of this one and if I come away with my junk intact we can talk about it.” 

“Deal. Besides it’s a risk having kids now with Art. I hope we nab him before the birth.” 

“We will, I know it.” he began to pump her steadily. “Let’s let the positive energy in.” 

“Oh, I’ll be letting something in...” the teacher threw her head back in ecstasy, making Joel laugh.


	15. Chapter 15

Thanksgiving came and went with Katherine meeting Joel’s family at his house. She had dressed in such a way that it didn’t draw attention to her bump and nobody noticed. The teacher chatted with all the relatives, giving her most positive attitude and bubbly outlook on life yet it was starting to wear on her by the time the afternoon was over. Joel’s sisters were funny and easy to talk to, his grandmother was probably one of the most clueless people Katherine had ever met. Privately Katherine thought she was an airhead, a flake, a ditz, etc. How did she get through life with not doing any work or even holding a job was beyond the teacher’s comprehension. 

“So how are you doing in here?” Estelle ambushed Katherine who was watching Joel and Thomas chat about camping equipment in the side yard. Josie’s son Matty, a hyperactive 3-year-old, ran amok to let his energy out, playing in the little sandbox near them. 

“I’m all right, Estelle. Tired but I’m OK.” 

“I can imagine. It’s hard work and your body doesn’t get a break.” 

“Tell me about it,” Katherine giggled ruefully as Estelle gave her a look that said she wanted a peek at how the bump was coming along. “over here so the little boy doesn’t see it.” 

“That’s Matthew or Matty as we call him,” Katherine backed behind the shed where she pulled up her shirt, displaying the little baby bump in all its glory. Estelle refrained from making any kind of noise as she was allowed to touch it a little bit, looking at Katherine in the eye. “did you feel anything yet?”

“No. Well, once when I was what, 21 weeks or so we both felt something. She’s been pretty quiet in there but she’ll start acting out pretty soon I’ll bet.” 

“A little girl! Oh congratulations. I’m looking forward to the day she arrives.” 

“Me too. We haven’t even decided on names yet. By the time of Christmas she’ll be pretty active; I’ll be at 24 weeks then. I don’t remember what week I’m on to be honest.” 

“Well, Joel texted me at 20 weeks and that was last week. I think you’ll be at 25 weeks or so at Christmas,” Estelle gently corrected her. “if you can’t remember a lot I think you have the pregnancy brain that a lot of women get.” 

“Oh no!” Katherine had to laugh. “Still, Joel’s been so good to me. He helped me out when the morning sickness struck many times. All I wanted was to lie next to him and relax and that was what I got. He’s given me massages and everything so I have no complaints.” 

“Then I really raised him right!” Katherine and Estelle laughed, walking over to the firefighter and his dad. 

**

“ So son, how has it been for you two?” Thomas watched Matty ruin off his manic energy. 

“It’s a rough road so far,” Joel admitted. “Katherine’s had some bad bouts of morning sickness and I felt freakin’ helpless watching her suffer because of something I pretty much did to her.” 

“Not so fast. You two made the decision to keep it and go through it.” 

“Yeah. But she flies into the bathroom, turns her guts inside out, comes back into the living room looking dehydrated and about a few pounds lighter. Katherine would lie down on the couch or bed and look miserable.” 

“Sounds like your mother.” Thomas mentioned. “she had a rough time with all 3 of you kids. I think it was called hyperemesis gravidarum. Katherine didn’t have to go to the hospital, did she?”

“No. I’m glad on that count. She didn’t want me to talk, just be there so she could rest.” 

“She’s drawing strength from your presence which is good.” 

“Has she had any bouts recently?”

“No. Katherine’s in the second stage and she’s been behaving like a teen in some respects,” Joel flushed a little bit. “we had a talk about her voiceover career and she decided to end it. Two national gigs in one year isn’t enough for her to live on and she wants to stop teaching altogether. At the Fireman’s Ball she got up and sang with the band now she’s going to rehearse with them and become a cover band.” 

“Good for her! I think I saw a Youtube clip of her singing.” 

“That was my friend Charlie.” 

“It sounds like you’re doing all the right things, son. Just keep being there for her and love her. You’ll have a great reward in what, five months?” 

“With this month, six. She’s in the early second trimester right now.” 

“Did it move yet?”

“It did once. I was lucky enough to feel it.” the men saw their women approaching them then turned to include them on the conversation. 

**

“So what do you think of the gathering of my family?” they had just gotten home; Joel turned on the kitchen light as Katherine put her purse away. Lucifer purred around their ankles so the teacher picked him up, went into the pantry and filled his bowl. 

“I think they’re a very nice bunch,” in the bedroom Katherine took off her purple and black top, hung it up, then took off her bra. “the little kid is a riot to watch but it makes me tired just looking at him.” 

Joel laughed while he put his pajama shirt on. “I think the same thing. If our little girl has a more laid back temperament we’d be happy. You know if I wasn’t working tomorrow we could do something fun.” 

“I’m going to rehearse with the guys tomorrow so it won’t be a total loss,” she teased, shrugging into her pajama shirt, unbuttoning the bottom two so her bump stuck out to tease Joel. “hehe.” she wiggled it in his direction.

“You look so tired, babe,” Joel picked her up and put her on the bed, lying alongside her. “I hope tomorrow doesn’t drain you too much.” he ran a hand down her shoulder to her thigh, making her relax immediately. Katherine turned so she was leaning into him, giving him a big kiss. Joel studied Katherine’s deep brown eyes, hoping that their daughter had inherited them. 

“What are you thinking about?” she let him open up her shirt and give her sore chest a little rubdown. 

“Our daughter,” he took his glasses off and turned out the lights, burrowing under the covers. The firefighter put his head on the bump, putting one hand on it while Katherine reached down and stroked his unruly brown hair. “just wondering what she’s going to be like.” 

“We never discussed particulars. What do you want to name her?” 

“What about Kelsey?” 

“I like that but how about a royal name? Elizabeth, Victoria, Anne, Mary?” 

“How about Sophie or Charlotte?” 

“Ugh. I like them but I think you’re onto something with Kelsey. How about Kelsey Susan Harrison or Kelsey Anne Harrison?” 

“I like Kelsey Anne,” he agreed. “I’m hoping that you’ll be able to give her those deep brown eyes I love so much, or those beautiful lips.” 

Katherine made a tired sound. “How about you carry on this conversation with your unborn daughter? My eyes won’t stay up.” 

The firefighter sat up and kissed Katherine. “Go ahead and rest now.” she closed her eyes and sank into sleep deeply while Joel kissed her bump and her chest, then went to sleep himself. 

**

In the garage where the band had been set up, Katherine stood with the four guys, discussing on how to arrange and play their set. The bassist was named Jerry, a tall lean guy with blonde hair and permanent stubble on his chin, the guitarist was David, a young guy who was portly with a Freddie Mercury mustache, the drummer was Ricky, who looked as thin as a rail with muscular shoulders. 

The person in command of the group was Randy, a person about Katherine’s age who dressed in jeans and leather jacket, had green eyes and jet black hair. 

“What’s this one? White Queen, as it began?” 

“You don’t know it?” Randy grinned. “look at the music video!” he brought it up on his phone, connected it to the speaker so they could all hear it. 

Katherine could feel the music washing over her in a cleansing wave. Music often did that to her; she felt caught up in a vortex of musical notes and emotion. Freddie’s pure voice, filled with so much emotion, seemed to pull at her emotional core. Brian’s guitar riffs echoed through her mind while drums and cymbals crashed. Before she knew it the song ended and Randy was grinning at her like he knew what was going on in her mind. 

“You experience the same kind of thing I do when you hear good music, right? I know that look.” he gave her the sheet music for the White Queen solo and steered her to the piano. 

“OK, I can do this.” it took several tries on the piano to get it right but Katherine managed to pull off a decent sounding solo. 

“Nice!” Randy encouraged. For two hours they rehearsed, Katherine swapping with Ricky on the drums. 

“Wait a sec,” Ricky eyed Katherine’s belly as she stood up from the drum stool, noticing how her shirt rode up a little bit. “are you pregnant?” 

“Can’t hide it anymore,” she displayed her baby belly for all to see. The members of the cover band were all married men with kids of their own so they understood what Katherine was going through. “I’m only 22 weeks right now. Just getting up is starting to get tricky.” 

“Before you know it your little one will be in your arms and you’ll experience love on a whole new level.” David told her. 

“I know I will.” 

“Who wants to jump on board with Rumor Has It?” Ricky rattled the cymbals. 

At the same time Joel was mopping his brow as he cleaned up another fire scene. People being careless with a wood stove. The whole property was a complete write off to the owners; all they had to do now was call their homeowner’s insurance and file a claim. The fire marshal and the chief had to come in to help out but thankfully the cause was determined without an incident. Ben and Charlie kept on cleaning up the scene, eventually coiling up the hoses and packing the engine off to the firehouse. 

“So,” Charlie said as they washed off their turnout gear and hung it up in the firehouse. “how are you and Katherine doing? Have you seen the TV lately?” 

“I have,” Joel turned to him and shut his locker with a rattle. “what are you implying?” 

“Come on, the popular rumor now is that you knocked Katherine right up with your dick! Is there a little firefighting protege in the works right now?” 

Ben perked up his ears as he shut the compartment on the engine. The senior firefighter was still seeing Alexandra but he just wasn’t ready for marriage yet. She was going to want more but he still didn’t know if he was ready for it. 

Charlie went through women like one changes their pants, Joel thought. He had a new girl every week but it must have been superficial attraction only. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Really?” Charlie, Ben and Joel went into the living room of the firehouse, dropping on the recliners like puppets with their strings cut. Joel and Ben were on paramedic duty that night and it was only about 4 PM. 

“I saw the gossip guy on TV. Rumor has it that you put a baby up Katherine and I want to know if it’s true.” 

“If it’ll shut you up I’ll tell you! I need a nap.” he took off his glasses and closed his eyes, reclining back. 

“I’m waiting.” Charlie sang out merrily. 

“All right, Wanker. Yes, the rumor is true. Me and Katherine are expecting a baby in the springtime.” 

“Wow! What sex?”

“Female. We already picked out a name and I want to rest, all right?” he shut his eyes, drifting off within minutes. Ben’s sharp glance at Charlie made him stop pestering the poor guy and go off to do something else. 

“Wanker, leave the guy alone,” Ben took Charlie by the scruff of the neck and parked his butt in the kitchen while he started getting supper. “he’s exhausted right now.” 

“Katherine’s running him ragged with super cravings I bet.” 

“No, don’t think that way. It’s a two way street, buster. This is why you’ve never had a long term relationship because your way of thinking is extremely misogynistic and you never grew up. Those two are very much in love, they decided to have a child and went for it. It’s a new situation and he’s doing the best he can by being there for her when the morning sickness hits and she needs comfort. Their lives will be better with a little kid in it.” 

“I’d run like hell,” Charlie picked up his water bottle and guzzled. “no way would I have the balls to be a dad.” 

“You are all talk and no balls. In the meantime I’m worried because I think Alex will ditch me.” 

“Have a baby like Joel and Katherine are.” Ben thumped his hand down in irritation. 

“That’s why your success with women will be more limited. You need to be more mature and show a lady that you care.” 

“The hell with that!” 

“Beat it, Wanker.” 

**

That night a horrific car crash dominated the main street a few streets away from the town. Joel, Charlie and Ben had suited up as paramedics, then stopped short as soon as they got out of the ambulance. 

“Oh dear god!” body parts dotted the roadway. The cops had shut down the road completely, setting up a detour road and waving on local traffic only. Thankfully there weren’t many stragglers out on the road at 2 AM. 

Joel and Ben had to hold back nausea as they took black plastic trash bags and began scouting the scene as soon as the photographers were done. Donning rubber gloves the two of them chucked body parts into the bags with practiced ease. 

“So what’s the deal with you and Alex anyway?” Joel picked up an appendage and threw it in the bag. 

“She still wants marriage and children and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.” 

“Are you overthinking it? Do you love her enough to marry her?” 

“I love her dearly, Joel.” 

“Isn’t that enough? I mean, I love Katherine and we aren’t getting married. But the whole matter boils down to is she putting pressure on you and you’re reacting to it?” 

“You know I think that might be it. A good woman would not pressure me to do something that I didn’t want to do.” with the perimeter done they started walking back to the scene where Charlie was getting ready to deploy the jaws of life. 

“Katherine didn’t pressure you into getting her pregnant did she?” 

Joel laughed as he drew the drawstring shut and handed the bag to the coroner’s van that just pulled up. “No. She and I had a pretty loose attitude about having kids. If it happened it happened.” 

“Maybe Alex is all wrong for me..” Joel tuned him out as he started helping Charlie with the jaws of life. The paramedic managed to get into the wreck enough to keep the victim’s head from rolling around while Charlie freed them. Ben handed Joel what he needed through the smashed windshield while the other firefighters put the jaws of life away. 

“Why is the car still running?” Ben yanked down on the panel under the dashboard, selected two wires and yanked them out, silencing the car for good. “That’s better!” he brought out a gurney, lowered it down, then helped Joel with moving the victim. Joel had assessed for spinal injuries which there were none, immobilized the broken limbs, etc. Ben and Joel recognized the signs of shock so they started to counteract it at once. The victim had been conscious at first but as shock took a hold they had fainted and showed no signs of waking up. 

In the ambulance, Joel checked the heart rate, checked again for any other injuries, then realized that the oxygen saturation levels were going down. “I’m gonna have to intubate.” 

“I’ll sedate him,” Ben took a measure of fentanyl, installed an IV line, then gave the injection, noting the time and dosage. Joel took up the instrument used for intubation, used it to move the tongue out of the way, then inserted the tube. “all right-he’s got some massive damage in there. It’s gonna take hours of surgery.” 

“What happened out there anyway?” the ambulance lurched into gear, driven by Charlie. 

“The cops don’t know yet. One can guess-a drunkie or slaphappy texter went over the center line, creamed a compact car, an SUV, then flipped once before hitting a tree. The driver of the compact car and I think there was a passenger were completely disemboweled.” Ben replied airily.

“We’ve seen it before. God, I really hate humanity sometimes.” 

“It’s a hard life,” Ben agreed. “assholes galore.” 

**

Joel returned to the house while Katherine was teaching her class the next day, then crashed out on the couch for the afternoon. He barely noticed when she arrived home, put her things away and made supper for both of them. She sniffled a little bit, starting on a winter cold as she changed into her everyday clothes. 

“Joel, hon?” she called him for supper then they ate in relative silence. “It’s nothing special.” she tried to interest him to some degree but he was troubled. 

After supper he was changing for bed when she came up behind him. “I’d like you to talk to me. What did you see out there?” 

“Nothing,” he tried to gloss it over, asking how she was feeling. “have you felt anything yet?” 

“Only thing I’m feeling is worry over you. What is it?” 

“You must be psychic.” 

“Joel, you don’t talk to me about something major that’s gone on in your job. I usually have to pry it out of you. Come on, I’m not going to judge you. I can tell it’s something big.” sometimes his cases got to him and he needed to vent. Katherine pressed the side of her head into his back, her hands meeting his. He felt the warm weight like a comforting blanket spread over him. 

“All right, I’ll tell you!” he turned to face her, voice irritated but only because she was so damn persistent! “Some yahoo was driving down the road in the early hours of the morning, crossed the center line and effectively disemboweled 2 people in a compact car and critically injured a guy in an SUV. Ben and I had to pick up body parts from the scene!” 

“Oh my god,” Katherine paled. “I can’t say anything now.” 

Joel laughed without humor in his voice. “I’ve seen it several times Katherine, and it really shakes my faith in humanity! The fact that some arrogant asshole can kill two people and maim others makes me fearful, it really does. Where’s the secure feeling that we all need, that we’re all safe and protected? I don’t feel safe, Katherine! Right now I even have my doubts about Kelsey! What kind of dad would I be if I couldn’t protect my child,” he took Katherine’s belly in both hands. “or even worse if I couldn’t protect you from the evils out there!” 

The paramedic sat down on the bed with Katherine, putting his head in his hands. “I need to protect you both but it feels futile with those idiots out there who could hurt you,” Joel looked into Katherine’s eyes. “I couldn’t forgive myself if I lost you or her.” 

“You’re experiencing dad anxiety,” she told him gently, taking his hands. “you’re realizing that anything can happen out there and you’re driven by that protective instinct. It’s getting overwhelming to you right now and I’m glad you can vent to me.” 

“It doesn’t change the fact there are loonies out there.” 

“No it doesn’t,” she agreed. “but remember I do my best to stay out of trouble and be a careful driver. I would move heaven and earth to protect both of you. What I want you to do now is to sleep.” 

“Right.” Joel banished the thoughts from his mind and with his hand resting on the bulge that was Kelsey, he fell right asleep. Katherine smiled, stroking his hair for a moment then went to sleep herself. 

The next day Katherine entered into her 23rd week of pregnancy, knowing now that there was a more increased chance that Kelsey would start moving around a little more. Unfortunately the teacher knew that a cold was about to erupt and it did. It wasn’t a head cold but a chest cold and she hated those even more. 

“It’s near Christmastime and I can’t even breathe right,” Joel was still asleep so Katherine moved herself from the bed to the couch so she could doze off sitting up and not aggravate her congestion. She called out of work, got into an old skirt and button up shirt with the bottom buttons undone. Taking some cold medicine she curled up on the couch with Lucifer purring happily by her side. 

Joel woke up slowly, one arm looking around for Katherine beside him but when he didn’t find it he assumed she’d gone to work already. The firefighter got up, did his morning routine and was surprised to see Katherine lying on the couch. It was a workday for her and yet she was on the couch like it was the weekend. Concerned, he walked over to her and passed his hand on her forehead. 

“Katherine?” she had a mild fever. Lucifer shot Joel a look, warning him in cat speak not to move the human cushion. “Are you feeling all right?” 

“Ugh.” was all he got out of her, a breathy sigh that sounded like congestion. The firefighter sat down on the armchair near the couch, turned the TV down low, then watched it until Katherine woke up. 

About an hour later Joel was bored with TV so he turned it off, picked up a history book of his that he loved and was engrossed in the battle of Antietam in the Civil War when he became aware of Katherine mumbling in her sleep. Amused, he listened in but when the mumblings started sounding urgent and panicky he had to put the book down. 

“No,” she moaned helplessly. “my baby.. they took her!” 

“Whoa, Katherine, wake up!” he hustled to her side, taking both her hands in one hand then checking her fever with the other. The teacher made a distressed sound and opened up her eyes. 

“Joel..” 

“It’s me,” he reassured her. “what were you dreaming of?” 

“Labor and someone took my baby from me..” her voice was tiny and weak, making Joel remember when she had surgery back in June. 

“Don’t worry-the baby’s right where we put her.” gentle hands moved hers to over her belly, making Lucifer jump off the teacher and give her a glare from the floor. 

“She should be more active any day now.” 

“How are you feeling?” 

“Sick and tired. My students had a chest cold and I have it too.” 

“Not to worry, babe. We can nurse that right out of you. I have to go and take a refresher class to keep my paramedic license; will you be all right here alone?” 

“Of course. I’m just gonna sleep and lie low.” 

“Good. Keep both of yourselves safe.” Joel kissed the belly-the only safe place to kiss Katherine now, he supposed, then got up and left the house. 

**

The week of Christmas Katherine entered into the 24th week mark. She had nursed her cold successfully with drugs, Joel had looked after her well, and now she was happily healed. While doing a little Christmas shopping at the mall she went into an adult gift store and was feeling rather naughty so she picked up a set of balls connected together with black silicone. 

“So what do these puppies do?” 

“Oh those will give you the orgasm of your dreams!” the clerk told her. “Lube them up, stick ‘em up in there and your pelvic floor muscles will engage in keeping it in there. It makes labor easier because you can control your muscles better!” 

“Oh, nice,” Katherine glanced down at her shirt. She still wasn’t showing a lot but she had the definition of a belly starting. “I guess it won’t be a secret for much longer!” truth be told she wanted the belly to flash around now but it was on its way. 

“That kind of thing never stays quiet for long!”


	16. Chapter 16

Katherine bought the connected balls, noticing that they changed color from black to bright green in heat. The balls, called For Girls Only or FGO for short, were hollow in the middle with small ball bearings in the center. Once she got home she stood in the bathroom with the bottle of KY nearby, cutting the packaging off of her new toy. Lucifer meowed near her feet but she ignored the cat. 

“I’ll feed you in a minute!” Joel would be home from his field training soon and she was going to put the romance back into their relationship. The holiday season was wearing on him because of the accidents and people from out of town, Katherine was tired from administering testing on all her pupils and keeping their wild energy under wraps. 

“Can these things really fit inside me?” she lubed them up well, put her leg up on the tub, then pushed the first ball against her outer lips. Just getting the lube there made her excited so she grasped the first ball carefully, aiming towards her lower back then pushed the first ball in. With a little sucking sound the ball went in, then she pushed the second one up as well. Using her middle finger she pushed it up as far as it could go. The toy brushed against her cervix, making her think that her daughter was on the other side of the toy. Katherine put her hand on her stomach like Joel was always doing, rubbing the slightly rounded surface lightly. “I never thought I’d become a mom at all.” her pelvis felt heavier now that the weights were inside her. 

The teacher did some exercises for her pelvic floor, lying down on the the couch and raising her pelvis up and down several times. It felt odd to her to see the bump rising up and down in front but she got used to it. Christmas Eve was going to be a fun time for them. 

Friday Katherine dismissed her class for Christmas vacation, singing a little song to herself. Nobody at the school had said anything about her pregnancy which was how she preferred it. Getting into the car she went home where the Christmas tree had been decorated and gifts for the two of them had been stacked. 

Traditionally Joel went to his family’s home on Christmas Eve but now he had Katherine they were going to start spending it at home. He had been home while Katherine had been teaching that day and thought like Katherine did that they needed something special to commemorate their first Christmas together. 

After suppertime Katherine dressed in just her robe while Joel was loading up the dishwasher. Lucifer was sitting on top of the refrigerator, batting at her head as she went by. 

“You know, I think we need to do something special for our first Christmas together,” she made her tone low and sexy. “I have an idea of what we can do.” 

Joel froze for a moment. “You read my mind.” a little blush rose to his cheeks as he imagined what she might have in store for him. Turning around he saw Katherine pressed up against the wall wearing nothing but her thin purple robe. She pulled at one corner of it, showing him an exposed breast while the sultry look in her eye dared him to come forward. 

The firefighter approached her while she smiled beguilingly. Grabbing both of her wrists he pinned them up above her head while he pressed his lips to hers like they were on fire. Frantically he kissed her jawline, her neck while she moved her head to the side, pulse speeding up as Joel covered her with kisses. Katherine returned the favor, lust adding speed to her movements, culminating in several minutes of breathless kissing. She pulled his pants off, yanked at his shirt then allowed him to steer her backwards through the hallway and into the bedroom. 

Welded together at the face now, Joel yanked his shirt off, put his hand on Katherine’s thigh as she brought it up, wordlessly asking for his dick. Sliding his hand up and down her thigh, Joel pulled at her robe, taking it off of her and throwing it aside. The firefighter also pulled Katherine’s butterfly clip down, releasing her dark colored curls to spill down her neck enticingly. 

“Time for the bed,” the two of them slightly breathless, Joel gently flung Katherine onto the bed, standing at her feet for a moment. She was a sight to see, unkempt but very wet; a little glistening was noticeable at her outer lips. “don’t worry Kelsey, I’m not hurting your mom!” 

“She can’t see anything,” Katherine giggled, raising up her leg and rubbing his crotch with it. “someone’s well hung!” 

“You’re so wet!” he breathed, mounting her, reaching for some lotion that was flavored so he could lick it off. Katherine had thought ahead and gotten what they both liked; caramel sauce. He greedily put a thick stripe of it on her lips then both of them licked it off. Joel paid equal attention to both parts of her chest, then drizzled a bit in the center of her torso and on the belly bump. 

Joel was very skillful with his tongue; Katherine was in ecstasy as he licked down a straight line then sucked the sauce out of her navel at the very top of her little bump. Holding it in both hands he made sure he’d gotten every last bit then aimed himself for Katherine’s very wet entrance. “Here I come, babe!” 

“No, there you came and it took root!” she laughed, indicating her belly. Joel decided to punish her for the lip so he didn’t ease himself into her, he rammed in with a loud sound of suction. Katherine gasped-the loudest he’d ever heard from her before. She was fine, still giving him her come hither look as she adjusted her vaginal walls to accommodate him better. 

“Oh babe,” he moaned as he took up a rhythmic thrusting inside her. “we still have the sex drive of horny teenagers! You’ll be pregnant a lot I’m sure!” encouraged by her moans of arousal and enthusiasm, Joel went to town on her, climaxing almost violently. 

He collapsed next to her, grabbed a small towel, cleaned both of them up and tossed the towel in the direction of the bathroom. Katherine’s pussy was still spasming like mad, she was about to drift into sleep with Joel draped over her when she felt something. Her gasp had Joel on alert within seconds. 

“What is it?” 

“I think I felt her move again. Feels stronger than before.” 

“Really? Feels like a good Christmas present!” Joel hovered over the bump, wanting to see a little movement and indeed he did. The firefighter saw a shadow underneath the skin then a little indent where Kelsey pushed. 

“Saw what one! We got another sign of life from inside!” Joel kissed Katherine, told her he loved her, then went to sleep. 

“Maybe Kelsey doesn’t like us fucking.” the teacher said laughingly as she fell asleep as well. 

Christmas day came with a visit over to Joel’s sister’s place. They brought gifts for Matty, then with Katherine’s guidance, Joel had bought necklace and earring sets for his mother and two sisters. The day was spent watching the toddler act up and be a general nuisance; what Katherine didn’t like was that Matty didn’t have any set rules or boundaries. His parents seemed oblivious to the concept of discipline. Estelle and Thomas knew Katherine’s views and when she said it was time for them to go they backed her right up. Matty’s mother Josie had been the spoiled one and often acted that way which Katherine didn’t like. She liked Dawn much better. 

“Hey Dawn,” Katherine was loading up the gifts they’d been given. “how’s it going?” 

“Not bad,” she pulled the tailgate down in a flash. “Mom and Dad told me of your condition. They didn’t want us to make a scene and all. How many months are you?” 

“About four months or 24 weeks. Joel’s made no secret that he wants a lot of kids so we’ll see on that front. I figure after the third one if he still wants more he can carry them!” 

Dawn started laughing. “Joel’s one who can be hard to say no to. Mom had a hard time with it as well.” 

“I have a question for you about Josie.” 

“She’s a spoiled brat and raising her son like a friend not a mom?” Dawn shook her head. “We know. We can only just hope and pray we get a not spoiled niece. Did you agree on a name?” 

“Yeah. Joel came up with Kelsey and I got the middle name Anne. She’ll have his last name of course.” 

“Right. Have you felt anything yet?” 

“Once at 21 weeks and again last night. She’s gonna be a fierce little soccer player in there.” Katherine nudged her belly to see if Kelsey would respond but she didn’t. 

“Oh bad luck,” Dawn empathized. “my husband and I didn’t want to have any kids and I think it’s because of how Josie spoils Matty. You might change our mind.” 

“Well, remember that I’m a teacher,” Katherine reminded her. “they do well with rules and what’s expected of them.” 

“Very true. Let me float this idea past my husband and I might join you on the pregnancy bandwagon.” 

“Don’t rush it. Joel and I were pretty loose and our attitude was like if it happens it happens.” 

“That’s the best way to handle it.” Dawn winked. Joel and the others came out with the rest of their gifts, packed up their cars and said their goodbyes. 

**

Two weeks later it was New Year’s. Neither Joel nor Katherine wanted to go out; they were happy sitting at home. Lucifer sat on the back of the sofa as the darkness fell outside, kneading his favorite fleece blanket while Katherine lay stretched out on the couch, her 26 week belly had grown some more and was a bit more rounded to the naked eye. She wore her thin robe, old pajama pants and that was it. Joel always liked to see her belly poking out so she knew he wouldn’t mind one bit. 

“I’m on call tonight so we’ll make the best of it.” parking on the edge of the couch he took a lotion bottle, put some on Katherine’s belly and began to massage it in. 

“Do you think about our lives after Kelsey arrives?” she had been a little more active lately. “Me coming home from a shift, you sitting in a rocking chair, nursing Kelsey..” 

“I don’t know about nursing, hon.” Katherine personally disliked the idea of having a baby latched to her all the time. She didn’t like being at anyone’s beck and call 24 hours a day. 

“Why not?” 

“Well, to be honest I’m not on board with the whole notion. Formulas are good and that means you get to feed her too.” 

“Oh. I guess so.” he hadn’t thought of it that way. 

“So that means we switch off on getting up in the middle of the night. We might be lucky; she might be a good sleeper.” 

“You never know. I guess I get it, Katherine, not to be the on demand feeder all the time. You don’t want to be chained to the baby especially after being pregnant with her.” he never thought of it like that as he looked down at the belly. 

“On your days off she gets to be your problem. As soon as six weeks is up I’m back up teaching-”

“Six weeks? You can have 3 months if you want.” 

Katherine sighed. “I really hesitated bringing this up to you, Joel. I’m only staying home the requisite 6 weeks then I’m going back to work. I can’t sit on my ass or have my life be exclusively baby for the first 3 months of her life.” 

“Why do you want to go only six weeks? Isn’t that rushing it? You need to recover yourself.” 

“I know and I figure 6 weeks is enough time. I can’t sit around and tend to a baby all day; I need a life.” 

“What if I’m on call and we need someone to watch her?” 

“Your mother is retiring in February,” Katherine told him, putting her hands on top of his that rested on her belly. “she told me at Christmastime and is more than understanding that I need a life outside the house.” 

“Suppose it’s better than day care.” 

“That’s easily about three hundred a week. No thanks!” the two of them giggled for a long moment when Kelsey reared up and thumped her parents’ hands. “Oh, someone woke up from their nap!” 

“You can tell that now?” 

“Yeah. She’s more active in the evening and during my morning classes. I have to take the kindergarten class to lunch then I come back and grade the older kids’ papers. Kelsey seems to know that’s my quiet time and she often moves around then.” 

“She does? You should stop by the firehouse again.” 

“I will soon. Maybe I should be a bit more bigger so Charlie can touch it and make a fuss over me.” 

“He’d love it. Anyway, Dawn was asking me about a baby shower for you. Do you want one?”

“I wouldn’t have time for one,” she answered him. “the baby will be born by the end of June or maybe in July. By the time I’m 7 months which is when they usually give it that’s March and March madness is crazy. I’m giving third quarter exams and have to be available for tutoring. It’s a crazy time.” 

“OK, so that’s a no on a shower then. The guys were going to take me fishing.” 

“There’s nothing wrong with that but fishing in March? How about an ice fishing party instead?” 

“Yeah, freezing my cajones off so I can’t impregnate you again,” Joel shuddered. “eh!” 

Katherine erupted in laughter, making Kelsey startle and kick. “Ow! Oh, she’s getting violent in there!” 

“Like father like daughter!” Joel started up laughing which made their unborn daughter even more active, giving Katherine an idea. 

“Talk to her for a minute.” she directed, taking a moment when Kelsey seemed quiet. 

“Fine. Hey little girl, how you doing in there? I’m so jealous you get to live inside your mother. I wish I could leave my dick inside her all the time.” 

“Oh you!” Katherine swatted at him with a pillow, making him laugh which indeed spurred Kelsey into a frenzy of movement. Both of them saw shadows play across Katherine’s swollen stomach as the unborn child aimed several hits at random. “It’s you!” 

“What?” 

“She responds to you-your laughter! Try it again.” Joel put his head against the bump, not knowing what he was in for as Katherine told him a dirty joke, making him laugh. He felt a few kicks and a push as Katherine yelped. 

“Whenever I say ow now it’s her! She’s grinding my organs into a paste!” 

“All right I think that’s enough fun time. How about a quiet family bonding moment, hmm? Sing something.” 

Katherine crooned the new song she had been learning, White Queen. Under Joel’s hand the unseen baby quieted down and soon she could tell that Kelsey was asleep. 

“What song was that?” 

“It’s called White Queen as it began by Queen.” 

“Now if you get up will she wake up?” 

“No.” Joel helped his girlfriend up. With his pager on his nightstand Joel watched Katherine sleep for the longest moment, brushing aside the covers and running one hand up her stretched out skin. He could hardly believe that his life was changing, definitely for the better. It seemed like he’d been in limbo recently, doing the same job in different parts of the country for almost ten years and wanting more. Then he had entered the elementary school and met Katherine. Crush turned to love and now to a baby on the horizon. The firefighter wondered how he got so lucky again. As he drew his hand up the side of the belly a faint shadow played as Kelsey stirred a little bit. 

“Go to sleep.” he leaned down and kissed the spot where he saw her move. 

**

January flew by for the couple; Katherine experienced a little growth and ever increasing heartburn so her gastroenterologist prescribed her a safe long term drug to use. Her belly grew out more much to Joel’s delight; though he wasn’t happy with her turning down more ultrasounds at the gynecologist’s office. He’d come in to hear her on the phone just before suppertime, politely declining more sonograms and saying it wasn’t medically necessary. 

“Why would you not do it?” it seemed to him that Katherine was becoming more stubborn by the day. Joel had just come off of a long shift and doing on call work so he was overtired and his temper was starting to show. Katherine was standing with her back to him in the kitchen, happily whistling a tune to herself which stopped in a second. 

“Apart from the dating and halfway mark ultrasound more are unnecessary. She’s been screened for any kind of retardation or anomaly and she’ll be fine. Apart from the intrauterine violence she puts me through on a daily basis now Kelsey will be fine.” 

Joel watched Katherine scrub out a pot, dry it and put it away. “So you’re deliberately putting our daughter’s health at stake by not doing more ultrasounds.” 

The teacher turned to face him, her expression was neutral. “It’s in this study I read by a well known group. More ultrasounds for me are not medically necessary. She’s fine; Kelsey will be pummeling my guts for months yet.” 

“You’re five months. Time enough for something else to happen.” his eyes narrowed. 

“Any way we could compromise on this?” she saw his temper was starting to show and didn’t like it; a flash of Arthur when he was angry came to her mind. 

“No, Katherine! You get all those ultrasounds as recommended by the doctor!” a new expression flitted across the teacher’s face. Pure fear. Joel had never spoken to her like that before. 

But she wasn’t one to capitulate so easily. “I know you’re worried, Joel but-”

“No buts!” he advanced on her almost menacingly. Katherine’s face drained of color but Joel either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He was like a different person completely now; she didn’t like what she saw. Everyone had a dark side but she didn’t think he qualified in that respect. “You should not have done that! I thought I could trust you by letting you go to the doctor’s alone to get that stuff done!” 

“Do you think you can force me to cooperate by threatening me?” she hissed. “You sound like Art! He would get this way with me! As long as you’re hell bent on threatening the one who carries your child you should probably know that I didn’t do any other testing either!” 

“What do you mean?” his fist started to clench at his side. 

“Conventional testing declares I have to do the gestational diabetes test-I didn’t do it! I did an alternate test which was less expensive and just as reliable! I never had any additional bloodwork done either!” 

“You endangered the life of my baby!” he was about ready to explode with rage and Katherine wasn’t going to hang around to see it. 

“Yes, YOURS! Don’t you raise your hand to me! I’ve been traumatized by Art and you’re just going to pick up on where he left off, huh? Think you dare raise a hand to me and verbally abuse me? My PTSD is going to come back thanks to you!” 

She brushed past him but he grabbed her forearm in an iron grip. “Ow! Let me go, Joel!” he saw the pain on her face but didn’t do anything as the grip tightened. Katherine bit her lip; he wasn’t himself anymore and wished she could call the old Joel back but that was impossible. 

“Where are you going?”

“Like I’m going to tell you?!” the firefighter wasn’t going to let her go so Katherine had to quickly think of a plan. He would barricade her in the house in a second so she had to get crafty. Joel had left his phone in the music room down the hall where they had been discussing sheet music. The kitchen was at the other end of the house so if she was clever enough she could buy a little time to snatch her purse and run for it. 

But how to break his grip on her? Joel was a paramedic and his instinct would kick on if she pretended to suffer from something.. a light blinked on in her mind. 

She gave a cry of pain which startled Joel so much he dropped her. Right on cue she collapsed, closing her eyes, lying on the floor. It hadn’t been a graceful fall either; she’d smacked her head on the door molding a little bit. 

“Katherine? Katherine!” Joel tried to rouse her, panic in his voice. Remembering his cell phone was in the other room, he hurried off to get it. Katherine sprang up as soon as he was gone, grabbed her bag which still had her phone in it, her keys, and shut the door quietly. Dashing out to the garage she jumped in her car, started it up, and glancing around for Joel, floored it out of the driveway. 

“Guys, I need to report a pregnant woman who suddenly collapsed. The address is 1003 Sedgwick Avenue..-” he walked into the kitchen. “shit-she’s gone!” 

**

Katherine pulled up at Joel’s parents’ house, shakily turning off her car and putting the key in her bag. Estelle greeted her at the door with a concerned look on her face. “What’s wrong, dear?” 

“Your son scared the life out of me.” Estelle took the teacher’s arm which made her wince; it was the area where Joel had grabbed her. 

“Poor thing; come on and have a seat! Thomas is off with friends tonight so it’ll be just us women.” 

A few minutes later Katherine sat on the plush suede deep blue couch in the living room, seeing pictures of Joel and his sisters on the wall. Estelle brought the distraught teacher some water, sat down next to her, listening while Katherine recounted everything she heard and saw. 

“It was like he was someone else, Estelle. He grabbed me by the arm and left me with a big bruise. I was terrified to be alone with him and the only way out was to play dead, so to speak.” 

“So what did you do?” 

“I screamed in pain and pretended to faint. He let go of me to go grab his phone and by the time he came back I was gone.” 

“Good one, I have to say,” Estelle commented. “I have half a mind to blast his ear off for this.” 

“You do what you like; I am exhausted from all of this.” Katherine yawned. 

“By all means dear, have a nap while I straighten out my son.” Estelle draped the couch afghan over the teacher as she laid down on the couch, took her shoes off, then fell asleep. Determined to set her son straight over his behavior, Estelle picked up the house phone, dialed Joel and waited for him to pick up. Moving the cordless phone so she was sitting on the basement stairs she took a deep breath and launched into a diatribe when he picked up. 

“JOEL HARRISON! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO KATHERINE!” he had to pull the phone away from his ear. 

“You scared your pregnant girlfriend away; the poor thing is in tears and shaking badly! Why didn’t you consider the fact that her ex husband treated her the same way you did and she has post traumatic stress disorder! This is going to bring this all back!” 

“Mom, where is she?” 

“She’s here with us, Joel. What’s gotten into you that you would act this way?” 

“Look, can I come over and we talk this out? I need to apologize.” 

“You need to grovel badly, son! You can come over here; Katherine’s sleeping and I will not have her disturbed.” 

“So she’s not sick or hurt?” 

“No. If you can be civil, come over.” 

Joel was over there in record time. Estelle greeted him with a lukewarm smile as he took her hand. “Where is she, Mom?” 

“She’s in the living room, dear. Be on your best behavior.” 

“Yes, Mom.” Joel saw Katherine’s limp form on the couch, went over to her and knelt down. Timidly he brushed her hair aside from her neck and checked her pulse. Normal. The paramedic brushed a feathery kiss on her cheek as she slept on. Joel felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder, steering him into the kitchen. 

“Let’s talk about it, sonny.” 

“I don’t know where to start, Mom. I shouldn’t have reacted the way that I did. I’ve been nothing but supportive up until now. I nursed her back to health twice now and she stood strong for me when I got concussed on the job.” 

“I think your job stress is spilling over into your private life, Joel,” Estelle counseled him. “you wouldn’t have done it normally but you were and you look very overtired. It’s not an excuse but if you recognize the fact that you’re more likely to be angry when overtired you can work on it. Identify your anger triggers and work on them. Express your anger in healthy ways too! Just don’t take it out on Katherine-she’s stressed out herself worrying about the baby’s health and her unruly class.” 

“I kind of snapped out of it if you will when I heard her scream in pain,” Joel mumbled, putting his face in his hands. “that scared me to the core.” 

“It would, darling. Katherine was only doing what she had to. She felt her life was in danger when she was with you and needed to run. So she acted hurt.” 

“She did what?” 

“Don’t get mad!” Estelle snapped. “You need to remember her mindset-you were already yelling at her, she said it wasn’t like you at all which I agree! She pretended to be hurt so you would leave her alone and run.” 

“I really fucked up,” Joel moaned. “I take the good person who loves me and make her scared of me.” 

“Look, the damage is done,” his mother said in a matter-of-fact way. “what you need to do is to mend the relationship otherwise you could lose your girlfriend and your impending daughter in a moment! Katherine’s been traumatized by Arthur and if we’re lucky it won’t happen here-she still has the capacity in her heart to love you.” 

“I didn’t think about that. I thought that she would never speak to me again after what I did. I can’t live without her, Mom.” 

Estelle smiled, recognizing true love when she saw it. “She still loves you, honey. She told me you’re the only man she ever truly loved or ever will love.” 

“Aw.” his eyes teared up a little bit. Joel almost never cried anymore; not even when Katherine told him that she was pregnant. It took a lot for him to get emotional; like especially now.

“Feel better now?” 

“I feel confident we can work on things, Mom. I need to cater to her.” 

“You better grovel a lot. She’s going to enter the third trimester next month when hormones are going to be a little crazy. She will definitely need help getting out of chairs now!” Joel laughed, feeling the stress starting to melt away. “Go to her, son. I want you to reconcile.” 

“All right, Mom. Wait, what about the cars?” 

“Your father should be home soon. I’ll drive her car and your dad will follow me and bring me home.” 

“Perfect.” Joel sat on the edge of the couch, moving Katherine’s hair back as she stirred. “Katherine? Katherine baby, are you ready to come home with me?” 

“Hmm?” a little flash of brown showed itself from behind her eyelids. 

“Katherine it’s me.” dazed with sleep Katherine found it hard to focus but knew who it was. She had already resolved to give him a second chance. 

“Joel?” 

“Yeah, babe. Want to come home with me?” he took her hand. 

“Umm yeah.” 

“Really? I expected more of a fight.” 

She gave him a breathy giggle. “I can forgive you but right now I’m so sleepy.” 

“OK,” he kissed her hand. “I think I can take you home. Mom will bring your car back.” 

“OK.” Estelle had put her things in Joel’s Explorer already. Katherine was too groggy to register the fact that Joel had picked her up and was marching out the back door to the SUV. Estelle held the door open as the firefighter put Katherine in the backseat, lying her down as carefully as possible. 

“You be careful with your precious cargo, sweetie.” 

“Our precious cargo,” he corrected her, giving his mom a kiss. “thanks, Mom.” 

“You’re welcome, son.” 

Later on that night Joel couldn’t sleep. He’d been thinking about how he acted and it scared him; he didn’t know that person and hoped it wouldn’t show up again. Standing at the window he watched the moonlight idly as he thought of the fact that he could have lost his pregnant girlfriend by the way he acted. She didn’t need the stress in her condition and he was wrong for acting out at her. 

A drop of water splashed down on the windowsill near where Lucifer was sitting. Joel put his hand to his face, shocked when he found he was crying. Sitting down near Katherine on the bed he uncovered the bump, a little more prominent now, and shed another tear. 

“I could have lost you,” he whispered. “what an idiot I’ve been.” he pressed a kiss to Katherine’s belly. Moving up he lay beside Katherine, kissing her on the cheek. The teacher gave a little smile in her sleep which made him a little happier.


	17. Chapter 17

Katherine woke up the following morning, apprehensive about how she was going to forgive Joel for what he did to her last night. She tried to sit up but found that her lap had been obscured by her belly now. She could still see her own feet but barely. As if she knew her mother was awake, Kelsey decided to thump her on the right side with an elbow as if to say good morning. 

“Good morning,” Joel sang out, appearing at the bedroom door. “how are you feeling today, sweetie?” 

“Not too bad. Kelsey’s starting up with her antics.” 

“Is she?” Joel took Katherine’s hand then sat down on the edge of the bed. “My jumping bean in there is awake rather early, isn’t she?” 

“Well, I don’t know about that,” the teacher hesitated. “the unborn ones do tend to stick to a schedule of sorts but they deviate. I’ll be six months in a few days so she’s going to get more active pretty quickly. I will never get a quiet moment.” 

“Katherine, about last night..” Joel began with a hunted stare in his eyes. He wasn’t sure whether to bring it up or not but just to cover his ass in the future he decided to. Neither one of them liked having unresolved problems so it was better just to address it and let it go. 

“Joel, it wasn’t you last night that’s what scared me. It looked like you but the manner was harsh and sadistic. For a second I actually thought that you were Arthur, coming to verbally abuse me. You don’t know what he did to me; the mental agonies I suffered.” a look of forgotten pain flashed across her face, she shut her eyes then for a moment looked alone and despondent. 

“You’re right, I don’t.” he said softly, looking deeply into her eyes. 

“I honestly thought that you’d prevent me from leaving the house and I felt really claustrophobic; if you could get all nasty and verbally abusive to me then what else were you capable of? I took a chance.” 

“Katherine, I would never hurt you.” 

“Oh no?” she showed him the bruise on her upper arm. Joel’s stomach flip flopped as he saw the bruise and glanced up at her. He passed his fingers over the marks like he was wishing he could heal it; regret stretched over every line of his face. 

“Did I?”

“You did. I wanted you to let me go and you were in such a fit of rage that you wouldn’t and your grip just got tighter until I bruised,” a few tears fell from her eyes as she blinked and looked up at him. “I knew the only chance I had to get out was to play dead so to speak.” 

“You did a good job of it,” he admitted, taking her hands in his. “you scared me pretty good; I was convinced you had hurt yourself or something was wrong with her..” Joel put his forehead so it was touching Katherine’s. She put her hands on his shoulders so her thumbs touched, then gazed into his eyes. The firefighter put his hands at her sides, blue eyes locking onto her brown ones. 

“I know I screwed up badly last night; I’m asking you to give me another chance,” Joel’s voice was very light and soft like he was whispering. “please?”

The teacher shut her eyes for a moment. “Will you talk to me about your hard cases instead of venting your spleen on me?” 

“I will, I promise you.” Katherine seemed to get lost in his eyes with a wondering stare. 

“Then I forgive you, sweetheart.” she matched her tone with his. 

Joel exhaled a sigh of relief. Moving his hands from her sides to her shoulders he kissed her deeply for a long moment, holding her face in his hands. “I love you so much,” he breathed when he pulled apart for a moment. “I was such an asshole-I could have lost you both and I’ve worked so hard to have you two in my life.” 

Katherine dabbed at her eyes, reaching up and wiping the tears off of Joel’s cheeks. “First time I ever saw you cry, honey.” 

“You threw a real scare into me and righteously so,” he took a tissue and dabbed at his eyes. “you seemed to break the hold on asshole me when you cried out and fainted.” 

The teacher said nothing on that account. She knew that Joel needed reassurance that he hadn’t screwed things up for good and took him to her breast, holding him like she would a child. He welcomed the embrace, staying locked in her arms for several long moments until he cleared his eyes and mind, then looked up at her. 

“You’re completely forgiven; I won’t make you grovel,” Katherine clarified with a little smile. “now it’s a school day and I need to get ready to go in.” 

“How’s Kelsey doing?” 

She pressed one of his hands to her belly. “She’s quiet now. I think we bored her.” 

“Kids!” Joel and Katherine took a shower together, had breakfast, then Katherine left for the school. Joel was very relieved that he hadn’t screwed up their relationship for good so he threw on some tunes in the stereo downstairs and began to work out. 

Fifteen minutes later he was on the treadmill and listening to Green Day when a radio announcement came on over the music. “There is a shooting in progress in the elementary school parking lot. About six people are injured on the scene and police are hunting for the suspect.” 

Joel yanked the red button which made the treadmill stop immediately. “Katherine!” he grabbed his phone but there were no new texts. He fired one off, saying he was coming to get her, then yanked his keys off the peg in the wall and was out the door. 

**

Ben and Charlie got the call as soon as it came in at the fire station. They got into their paramedic outfits, grabbed an ambulance each then sped over to the elementary school parking lot. Charlie corralled all the kids, using his fast talking easygoing persona to keep them occupied while Ben, first aid kit in hand, waded in among the adults. Two other ambulances were there and more were coming. 

“Oh, Ben!” a familiar voice called to him. He turned and focused, nearly slipping on the pavement. 

“Katherine! Oh god, are you hurt at all? Let me take you to the ambulance, come on!” he put a supporting arm around her waist and brought her over. The teacher was badly shaken up from the whole incident but mercifully the gunman had been arrested. Ben put Katherine on the gurney, checked her vital signs which were a little low, then began the physical examination. 

“Your limbs aren’t broken, are they?”

“No. But Ben, look,” Katherine showed him a bloody wound in her right shoulder. “he got me.” 

The paramedic could see that a bullet had been lodged into her skin and the blood was streaming down her shoulder and arm. He swabbed the blood off, knowing that Joel would soon be there as he’d been paged, then made Katherine lie down so he could examine the injury under the light. 

“Doesn’t look too bad as far as bullet wounds go,” he told her. “I’ve seen some real bleeders and this doesn’t crack the top ten.” keeping a casual positive attitude worked wonders with patients who were more neurotic than most. Katherine didn’t seem to be one of them but he wasn’t taking any chances. At any rate she wasn’t bleeding much at all. 

“How would you go about removing it?” the teacher calmly watched Ben take an alcohol swab and clean off the rest of the blood, chucking it into the trash as he worked. The bullet was buried in her skin but a black mark was visible which told Ben that the bullet hadn’t perforated or gone out the other side. He tore a strip off of the surgical adhesive tape roll, picked up a thick gauze pad then made a bandage out of it. 

“Well, I’m not going to do that. A plastic surgeon or resident would be able to do that and stitch up the wound with minimal scarring. If we take that bullet out you’ll bleed a lot which is not what we want.” 

“I see.” 

“Katherine!” Joel’s voice called as he came closer, jogging over to where the ambulance stood. “Katherine!” 

“I’m in here!” the effort it took to call to him took more energy out of her than it should have. Ben could see her complexion was starting to lose color. 

“Katherine, stay down,” he taped a temporary bandage over the wound, leaving her connected to the vital signs monitor. “you don’t know what’s out there.” 

Joel’s worried face appeared, relaxed for a moment then swung into the ambulance. “There you are! What happened to you? Are you all right?” 

“Easy, Joel. She’s going to be fine.” Ben cautioned him. Joel glanced at the monitor, noticing that her oxygen saturation rate was too low for his liking. 

“I’ve got to put this on you for now, hon,” he took a cannula out of its packaging, screwed it into an oxygen canister and turned it on. Leaning over his girlfriend he threaded the tubing over and under her ears, making sure the prongs went into her nose, tightening up the tubing under her chin. “what’s she got, Ben?” 

“Gunshot wound to her right shoulder, minimal bleeding. She’s pretty stable but we’ll need to transport her to get that bullet out of her.” Ben folded the edge of the surgical tape roll down so he could find the edge again, threaded it through one of the ear pieces of his stethoscope and draped it around his neck. 

“OK. We’ll have to bring you in and drop you right off. I have to come right back to help others out that need it.” 

Katherine understood. “I can’t ask you to not do your duty, Joel. Come back in one piece.” 

“I promise.” he shut the doors, Ben got into the driver’s seat and they took off for the hospital. Joel took more vital signs then checked Kelsey’s heartbeat to make sure their daughter wasn’t in distress. “She’s got a normal heartbeat.” 

“It feels like she’s hyperactive right now,” Katherine winced. “like someone just gave her a load of sugar or something.”

“Really?” the paramedic was mystified. He hitched up the teacher’s shirt and could definitely see Kelsey being very active at the moment. Since Katherine didn’t seem to be able to calm her unborn daughter down Joel put his hands on the bump, saying a few words to admonish her. “All right, that’s enough. Your mother has had a long morning.” 

Katherine sighed a long sigh of relief, feeling Kelsey start to settle down inside of her. Joel met her eyes while he removed his hands, put her shirt back down, then draped her in a heavy blanket to combat shock. 

“You have a calming quality, Joel. Each time she acts up she quiets right down when you talk to her. I think we have a daddy’s girl.” 

“It’s all right. How are you feeling?” 

“Dizzy and tired.” 

“That’s normal. The bloodloss must be affecting you right about now. All your signs are stable so I don’t think I need to start an IV. Do you want a painkiller?” 

“No. I can deal with it. Think I’ll need surgery?” 

“I doubt it. Ben said the bullet hit any major arteries or anything so it should be a simple extraction and stitching job. It’ll be like one of those day surgery procedures. In and out in under an hour.” Joel glanced out the window to see they were already at the hospital. 

“Time to haul you in,” Ben and Joel brought Katherine into the hospital, got her triaged, then helped her onto a bed. “I’ll be back to get you as soon as this is all over with, OK?” 

“I’ll text you,” she promised. “I’ll need you back to calm Kelsey down!” 

Ben looked confused as they brought the gurney back up to maximum height. Joel nudged him, then kissed Katherine goodbye for the time being. The two paramedics got into the cab, Ben turned on the engine, cruised onto the highway and went right back onto the shooting scene. 

“Katherine feels Kelsey move a lot now and when she’s too rambunctious Kelsey usually listens to me and calms right down,” he explained to Ben. “she’s got a strong willed spirit.” 

“Oh, I get it. How many months is it now?” 

“Next week it’ll be six.” 

“You’re a lucky man.” 

“Did you ever want kids, Ben?” 

“Not really. I figure Charlie is like a bratty teen and he’s all I can handle. Was Kelsey an accident?”

“Not at all. Katherine and I knew what could happen and ended up happening. We roll with it and I fell in love with her as soon as I saw what gender it was.” 

“You have the new dad stare.” 

“Thanks.” Joel grinned. “How about you and Alex?” 

“We broke up. She tried to guilt me into staying but I didn’t want it. There’s someone better for me out there.” 

“I’m glad you have a positive attitude about it, Ben.” they said no more as they headed back towards the scene. 

**

“All right Katherine, here we go! Time to dig that slug out of your shoulder.” an orderly took Katherine into an operating room. The plastic surgeon smiled down at her as he readied his instruments. 

“So do you want a local or a short acting sedative?” 

“Gimme a short acting sedative.” the anesthesiologist raised up a vein that looked rugged enough so he took the syringe of fentanyl, injected it directly into the vein, then the scrub nurse cleaned and prepped the operating site. Katherine’s hair was pulled back out of the way, the cannula stayed on, then she was out like a light. The plastic surgeon dug the bullet out, checked for any major bleeding that might start, then once he was satisfied, began to stitch the wound closed. 

“How’s the baby doing?” 

“Textbook normal. Seems really calm.” 

“That’s a first!” the surgeon dumped the slug into the basin supplied when the monitors flashed a warning sign. “Oh, looks like we got a little problem here.” 

With the shooting scene secured, Joel and the rest of the paramedics were scurrying back and forth to help everyone out who needed it. Police recreated the scene, got eyewitness testimonies and as many statements they thought was necessary. When everyone was treated and accounted for the first responders headed back to the firehouse. Joel got into the Explorer, heading to the hospital to bring home his girlfriend and unborn child. 

“Ah, Mr. Harrison,” the nurse recognized him, having been a bit of a celebrity around the emergency department. “Ms. Maguire is fine-she’s right in through here. Before you see her I should tell you that she had an allergic reaction to one of the drugs they gave her and went into anaplylactic shock.” 

Joel stopped short, absorbed what the nurse said, then calmly asked if she was all right. “She is OK then?” 

“Of course. The scrub nurse gave her adrenaline and she’s powering on through like usual. She should be waking up pretty quickly.” 

“All right.” he opened up the pocket door, entered the darkened room and saw Katherine lying on a gurney, eyes closed and very quiet. The paramedic kissed her temple, sat down on the vinyl chair and pulled out his phone to play with until she woke up. 

Twenty minutes later, Katherine swam closer to consciousness, remembering that she had been put to sleep then for some reason she felt like she was suffocating, sinking down into an airless blackness from which there was no escape. 

“Whoa, take it easy, Katherine!” before she knew it she opened up her eyes and Joel filled her vision. “Be careful-you’ve been through a lot and so has Kelsey.” 

“Oh Joel; I felt like I was suffocating.” 

“Katherine, they gave you a drug that you are allergic to and you went into anaphylactic shock,” he said quietly. “that’s what it was about.” 

“What is that anyway?” 

“It’s when your body starts to shut down. First off your lungs fail then the heart does. Fortunately they were able to prevent that with a good shot of adrenaline in you. That drug jump starts your system and it’s like a system reset.” 

“Good.” 

“Right. How’s your pain?” 

“So mild I can barely tell I hurt.” 

“Good for one thing. The school board’s decided to close the school in order to give you and everyone else a chance to recover. The school won’t reopen until after Valentine’s Day,” he gave her a little wink. “so what have we got planned?” 

“Oh, my band has a gig at the hotel in town. I can’t wait!” her tone earned her a punch from Kelsey. “Oh, I think I woke her up.” she grimaced. 

“All right babe, I need to take you both home.” Katherine was discharged, given follow up instructions then spent a lazy night at home with Joel. He had to leave twice to tend to a fire and another medical event but was back before midnight. 

Two weeks later Katherine was officially six months pregnant and ready for the live show that night at the hotel with the band. Joel had spruced himself up, wearing a dark blue suit and Katherine had worn a borrowed maternity dress. The dress was empire waisted and a deep merlot color with a little sash sewn into the back. The teacher had done her makeup in deep pink hues and she looked amazing to Joel’s eyes. 

The band took up their instruments with Katherine at the lead mike. She took it boldly and announced, “Welcome to the Stonehaven Waterfall ballroom! Now to a song that will get your blood pumping out here on the dance floor is Kesha’s Come On!” 

Charlie came in with his newest girl, Ben showed up stag for the night and it seemed like the whole town was there. Katherine sang a few more songs, doing a duet with Randy on Queen’s classic love song Who Wants To Live Forever. She took over Brian’s vocals while Randy delivered a powerful punch on Freddie’s. 

At intermission Katherine danced with Joel and asked him about an idea that she had. “How about a spotlight dance on you and me? Would you be comfortable with that?” 

“Sure I would be. How romantic.” Katherine had styled her hair so it fell to her left side, vaguely reminiscent of Veronica Lake’s in the early days of Hollywood. Joel had felt her makeup was a bit much that night but in the stage lights he saw how it worked. He delicately fingered the gold chain necklace she was wearing and matching gold teardrop earrings. 

When intermission ended, Randy called the attention of the audience. Joel was standing where she had directed him to be and she was on the stage. “Katherine here is going to start the spotlight dance with her boyfriend! She especially requested a song by Queen that she fell in love with called White Queen as it began. Here we go!” 

Randy sang the song as Katherine descended the stage, the spotlight on her as she accepted Joel’s hand and began to dance with him. He could see in her eyes the love for him, their baby, and a shining adoration for all things musical. It really was a cathartic experience for her with music that hit her emotions just right and elevated her voice to a whole new level. 

When the song ended Joel smiled and kissed her as the others filed onto the dance floor to have the spotlight shine down on them. 

“Tonight’s been perfect so far,” he told her, giving her a drink. “I have a gift for you at the house.” 

“I have one for you too.” they danced several more times then Katherine went up on stage so Randy and the others could have a break and dance with their wives. 

“So my band needs a break and who can blame them? Great work, guys! Now some elegant instrumental stylings for those of you who have more sophisticated taste.” she played some Beethoven on the piano for about fifteen minutes then invited the whole ballroom to sing with her on the favorite song Somebody To Love. 

“Come on now everyone, I need somebody to love..” she conducted them while putting her hands back on the keys. Even Joel got into it, singing out loudly, his voice joining the others until the whole room was singing. 

The final song of the evening was The Way You Make Me Feel by the legendary Michael Jackson. As part of the act Randy did Michael’s voice and Katherine sang backup, teasing him in a little performance for the audience. “Thank you and goodnight!” 

**

Once they were back at home Joel presented Katherine with her present. She picked up a silver locket that had his picture in it and on the other side he had inscribed “All my love, Joel.” with his help she put it on, taking off her gold necklace. “I love it!” 

The teacher gave Joel his present which was a handy Leatherman tool with a leather case he could attach to his wallet and use while working. He had a Swiss Army knife but that didn’t come with a pair of pliers he could use to help free someone from a car so he was very happy with his new gift. “Thank you, baby.” 

“It’s from her too.” Kelsey kicked as Joel hugged Katherine which made them both giggle. 

“Are you too tired for sex tonight?” the paramedic could tell Katherine was feeling drained as she sat down on the bed, kicking her shoes off. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry honey.” Joel helped her take off the sling on her right arm and get her out of the dress she had been wearing. 

“No, don’t be. You’re still recovering from your injury. Let me take care of you tonight, OK?”

“OK. Let me take off my makeup and I’ll be right with you.” Katherine scurried into the bathroom, got all of her makeup off, got into her robe, then got onto the bed. Joel turned from the bureau where he’d gotten Katherine’s favorite lavender scented lotion then got behind her. He put some on her shoulders, working it on and rubbing all the kinks out of her muscles. 

“Just let me know if it hurts you.” 

“Will do.” she was so relaxed and happy even Kelsey moving about didn’t bother her that much. The teacher leaned back so that Joel’s head was just above her left shoulder and put her good arm up so that the heel of her hand was on was the side of his face. “You have the magic, Joel.” 

“So it would seem.” he kissed her neck, admiring every line and curve that she possessed, feeling his heart swell with pride at his woman, all soft and happy in his arms and inside her resided their daughter. The paramedic watched as Katherine started getting sleepy while Kelsey decided it was time to play. Both of them saw the teacher’s belly move back and forth briefly while Katherine sighed. 

“She’s up to her tricks again when Mom wants to sleep.” 

“She has bad timing.” Katherine laughed then yelped. 

“Damn that hurt! Sometimes she gets hung up on that side. Not funny, Kelsey when Mama wants to sleep.” sometimes that child really didn’t know when to quit! 

“You go to sleep. Dad’s on the job.” Joel put Katherine down on the bed and sat at her side, the big belly was sticking up to his right. 

“Give her hell, Dad.” the teacher winked and closed her eyes, drifting off. 

“Now that Dad’s on the scene I’ll get you to behave,” he put his hands on Katherine’s belly, tracing gentle circles. “time to settle down now and let your mom get some sleep, all right?” he made his tone low and hypnotic so Kelsey would obey. “Maybe you’re restless after the trauma your mom went through recently and need a little reassurance,” he gave the belly a little kiss and muttered, “it’s all right. Dad’s not going to let anything happen to you or your mother. Go to sleep now.” 

He got a little push in return and took that as a sign that Kelsey was quieting down. When he didn’t get any other movement for a few minutes Joel knew that his daughter was asleep. 

“I’m outnumbered by girls,” the paramedic muttered as he lay down, pulling the blanket up. “no fair.” 

**

Katherine woke up the next morning with her energy restored and feeling a little bad that she wasn’t physically able to give Joel sex the night before so she got on top of him, snaking her hands down those muscular thighs and taking him in both of her hands. The teacher leaned down as far as she was able to and ran her tongue along his thick shaft, giving him a little lube and making him moan in his sleep. With Kelsey being quiet Katherine was able to give Joel a proper blow job, expertly licking and sucking him off until his hips were starting to thrust up and down. 

Joel came powerfully and Katherine was able to catch it with a tissue and clean him off at the same time. She threw the tissue away, knowing that she wasn’t done with her man yet. 

“Wow, he’s pretty powerful in the climax department. No wonder I got pregnant so quickly.” not done with teasing him just yet Katherine got on her knees then took his dick with one hand, dragged it across her wet folds and put his head inside her and out repeatedly. By then Joel was thrusting in his sleep so Katherine rode him with a grin on her face. He came in no time at all, moaned, then opened up his eyes. 

“What a dream!” he cut himself off when he saw Katherine sliding off of him and cleaning him up a little bit. “You?” 

“Did you also dream of a nice blowjob?” she winked. 

“Oh you dirty whore, you!” his eyes lit up. “Consider your sex debt paid!” 

Katherine just laughed at him, flicking through a brochure on the nightstand. “One of the other teachers gave me a brochure on childbirth classes and I wondered if you were interested in attending with me.” 

“I could give you a more accurate tutorial of what will happen instead of them,” Joel snorted. “and I won’t charge you anything.” 

“What’s there to really know? I educated myself on that front. I know I might shit myself, my junk will get distorted and unrecognizable and I’ll be sore as hell for awhile. If I’m feeling charitable I might let you walk away with your nut sack still attached.” 

“Oh I should be so lucky,” Joel teased her, standing up and noticing how flaccid he was. “you must have done a real number on me. I feel like I’m down a few ounces in there.” 

“It’s all good,” she said seductively. “I still have that feeling I’ll be pregnant for years while your brood of kids just grows and grows.” 

“You like being pregnant?” 

“It has its perks. I’m not wild about the body morphing into this fat suit but I like the fact that when she kicks or pushes I have the satisfaction of knowing she was brought into being by pure love and she’s the symbol of our love.” 

“You know you might just be right on that front,” Joel kissed her sweetly. “it’s our love for each other that brought her or will bring her into this world.” 

“Damn straight.” 

“Now next time if it happens to be twins..” 

“Then your nuts will be cut off and stomped on!”


	18. Chapter 18

Sylvia sighed. There had been no breaks in the Harrison/Maguire/Thorndike case as far as anybody knew. Katherine had been getting bigger thanks to her pregnancy as it progressed and she really wanted the case solved before the teacher gave birth. The gossip host on the local access channel was asked to tip them off first in case there was a break or an anonymous tipster on the inside which he had promised to do but so far nothing yet. 

The shooting in the school parking lot had proven to be an ex teacher with an axe to grind against the administration. Katherine had just gotten in the way but she’d gotten off very easily with a shoulder injury. Thorndike’s case was going to court in late February and Sylvia would be watching closely, even going to the case as a bystander. 

Sylvia had been 24 years in the force and knew by now never to say that she had seen it all. Each time she said that she had been wrong; new assholes everyday made her life a living hell. The past six years she had been a regular cop but before that she’d spent four years in homicide. Those cases wore on her night and day so after 4 years she went back to her old assignment. Petty theft and vandalism allowed her to leave her job at the office and go home with a clear conscience. 

Since Sylvia had no doubt she’d be recognized at the trial she would go undercover as a blonde with a wig, makeup, the works. She needed more background on Arthur and how he treated people. The cop remembered Katherine’s divorce and how it had been messy but she remembered most how Katherine was hell bent on getting revenge on Arthur and exposing what he was to the outside world. His asshole tendencies had been his undoing and now he really wanted revenge on Katherine. 

Why now when it was two years after the divorce? Simple. Arthur had underestimated what Katherine had done. He’d been arrogant enough to think that his actions didn’t have long term repercussions and yet his attitude was unchanged. If he had been smart enough to change his ways and become compassionate he could have had an empire with a good reputation. Now because of his arrogance and refusal to change his ways he was seeing a ruined future and creditors knocking on his door. 

Sylvia sighed and glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was closing time for her so she got up her things and punched out. A fire engine was screaming past the intersection, blaring the horns and sirens which caused her to look up. Joel was driving the engine, his game face was on. Off to another fire or accident; he was truly dedicated to his vocation. 

Joel had become a local celebrity in their community. He liked to do book drives for libraries, toys for kids at Christmas and all the community outreach he could squeeze into his busy life. Sylvia remembered that he was a big advocate for literacy and history. Katherine, apart from her history of being a nut buster, was dedicated to her music, taught kids how to play the piano, and she was a total animal lover. It puzzled the cop as to how Joel and Katherine’s paths hadn’t crossed until late April of last year; both taught kids and did toy drives at Christmas. 

Oh well, Sylvia got into her car and drove home. They found each other which was the main thing. 

**

“I can’t believe that it’s been seven months already,” Katherine was on the phone with Estelle for a few minutes. “she’s been so active I can’t get a moment’s peace!” 

“You enjoy it while you can, dear. Before you know it she’ll be in the birth position and you’ll be running off to the loo every chance you get!” 

“Don’t want to think about it! She’s been using my uterus as a swimming pool for the past 7 months and I’m really not looking forward to labor! I have a question for you, Estelle.” 

“What is it?” 

“Is it normal to have nightmares about delivery?” 

“All the time, Katherine. It’s completely normal. How’s Joel holding up?” 

“He’s doing really well,” Katherine spied her reflection in the hall mirror and put her hand on top of her belly. “after that issue back in January he’s been like his old self. It’s funny, when Kelsey acts up or gives me a hard time it’s him that calms her down enough to go back to sleep. It’s like Dad trumps Mom!” 

“Again, get used to it, dear!” 

“Oh all right! I’m just looking at myself in the mirror and I never thought I’d get so big.” it never crossed her mind that Joel had a powerful sex drive and was so potent that long ago night in August when they had been camping in the mountains. 

“Happens to a lot of us women, Katherine. Oops, Thomas is home so I should go. Nice talking to you sweetie!” 

“Same here, Estelle. Bye.” 

Joel was out working and Katherine was exhausted from teaching that day. She was looking for a way to kick back and relax when she found some bubble bath that was scented to smell like candy and was in a dry crumbly form. A grin spread across her face as she went over to the bathroom, adjusted the temperature of the water, then tossed some of the crumbly mixture in. 

When Katherine slipped into the tub the bubbles were six inches high. Grinning to herself she turned off the taps and slid back into the tub. She washed her hair thoroughly, scrubbed herself down then lounged for a little while, reading a gossip magazine. There was no reference to Arthur and she knew that he was going through a court case that month. Katherine finished her bath in about 20 minutes, drained the tub and got ready for bed. She seemed to get more tired easily those days but that was because of her demanding teaching schedule. All the teachers were complaining but they had to ride it out like they did every year. Her eyes shut quickly, ignoring Kelsey’s little kicks and pushes. 

**

Joel was dozing off in the bed upstairs, needing some quiet time after the last call. There had been a water main break then an apartment fire, then a gas leak at an industrial complex. It had been quite a busy day then he had been called out to a medical emergency which unfortunately was another drug overdose and the person died. Personally he had stopped feeling pity for drug addicts a long time ago but was able to fake empathy to some degree. 

Ben and Charlie were sleeping on their beds nearby, hoping that the tones from the alarm didn’t wake them up. Ben wasn’t adapting very well to single life again but he was at least happy with his peace of mind that nobody forced him to do something that he didn’t want to do. Alex had gone and moved on with someone else very fast which made him suspect she was dating two men at once and wanted a marriage out of one of them. 

Six hours of sleep followed. Six blissful hours with nothing but silence then to Joel’s ears a high keening cry. He woke up and shivered, grabbed his fleece jacket and went downstairs. The firefighter followed his ears to the side door, opened it up, then discovered that someone had abandoned a baby in a carrier in their equipment storage space. 

“I thought people didn’t do this in this day and age,” Joel picked up the carrier and brought it into the living room. “poor thing. Come on it’s warm in here.” he unstrapped the five point harness and picked up the infant. There was no note, nothing and as Joel checked he could see that the baby was a little boy. 

“You can’t be more than four months old, little guy.” he got some supplies from one of the ambulances then camped out on a recliner. The little boy was not hungry, just cranky at being out in the cold so he settled down with the firefighter. Joel pulled off his glasses, put them on the end table, then adjusted the recliner to his satisfaction. With the little boy already sleeping Joel put one hand on the baby’s butt, the other on his shoulders so he got supported, the firefighter dozed off. 

A few hours later Ben and Charlie came downstairs, looking taken aback at the sight of Joel sound asleep with a baby. Ben took a picture and sent it to Joel’s phone then sent another one to Katherine, captioning it an unfortunate foundling. 

“So where did this guy come from?” There was no note, nothing. Charlie called DHS and they sent out one of their workers to claim the baby. 

“I suppose it’s weirdly fortunate that a baby turns up now while Joel’s girlfriend is almost ready to pop. Except she’s having a little girl.” Ben remarked. 

“Doesn’t matter. It’s a cute thing seeing him like this.” 

“Isn’t it.” Joel woke up as the baby started to fuss and seemed to know right off the bat what the little boy wanted. He changed the little boy and right as he was walking him around the firehouse to amuse him the DHS worker came in, took their statements and the little boy was gone. 

“Aw.. Joel you were great with him,” Ben consoled him a little bit. “two more months to go and you’ll be doing that for the first time with your own daughter.” 

“True.” all 3 of them hoped that DHS would give them periodic updates on the little boy. He would go into foster care after a percursory medical examination for awhile, try to locate the parents and check available records. 

Just then, after Joel had gotten himself some coffee, the tones dropped, telling them that there was a bad fender bender on the outskirts of town. Three people were hurt so they dropped what they were doing and got into the fire truck and ambulance. 

“Thank god Katherine got me this travel mug!” he quickly dug it out, poured a measure out into the mug, snapped on the lid and he was good to go. 

**

Katherine was reclining back on the couch, looking very comfortable as her 7 month belly jutted out in front of her. She was wearing a skirt and her robe to keep warm as she was watching TV when Joel came home. The firefighter had some leftovers then approached Katherine on the couch. 

“So what do you think? Do I, a nice burly firefighter with a potent sex drive and hose to match need to put out a fire? Maybe in your pants?” he hitched up his pants and knelt down, sticking his hand up into Katherine’s pussy. She jumped and giggled. 

“Actually you started a fire 7 months ago that’s still raging,” 

“Well, did I do that? Silly me, I thought that I was putting out a fire not starting one.” he grabbed her wrists as he put one of his knees between her legs. 

“You’re in a really good mood. Oh Mr. Firefighter, I have a raging fire on my chest and I need some of that magic touch to put it out.” she batted her eyelashes at him. 

“Always happy to be of service, ma’am! Tell me where I can aim my hose.” he unzipped his pants. Katherine opened up her robe with a smile. “Gee that’s a broad range to cover-I might have to pump my hose a few times to cover it all.” Joel brought her wrists down as he did a little motor boat on Katherine’s chest which made her shriek with laughter. 

“Someone’s in a good mood tonight. All right, so what happens when a burning building is raging? Walk me through it.” she teased seductively. 

“First off is to find a fire hydrant full of water,” he glanced down at his waist. “my internal reserve is more than ready to do the job at hand, I unroll my hose and inflate it, then turn that water pressure on. Sometimes the hydrant might be running dry so I need to take my big wrench and adjust the level.” Joel kissed and necked Katherine. “I can feel that pressure going up, I check to make sure the water is switched on,” he slid a few fingers into her pussy. “nice and ready so put my fire hose into the burning building!” 

Katherine was giggling the whole time, trying not to let her amusement make her go dry. Joel rubbed his head around her slit to torment her, flicked her clit a few times then gave her a devilish look. “Assessment of the structure has been done so we plunge in!” 

Joel had to give his girlfriend a little extra clearance as her belly was starting to get in the way of their lovemaking but he didn’t mind, preferring to think of it as a little extra workout. They’d tried to have sex with her in a reclining position but she was extremely uncomfortable and it didn’t work out very well. Kelsey didn’t like it either and as soon as they’d started she started protesting and didn’t stop until they did. 

“Oh yeah! Then the trusty firefighter with his big hose finds the source of the fire and puts it out!” Joel thrust away as Katherine met each one of his thrusts with her pelvis, only rising up a little bit to help get him off. She could tell when he was about to come-he shuddered and it seemed like he was about to stop but that was him gathering enough energy to come. She smiled, moaning low and sexy into his ears which gave him enough energy to thrust away frantically and climax. 

“Oh yeah-there’s no doubt I’m going to be pregnant a lot. We just can’t stop fucking, Mr. Firefighter with the big hose.” 

Giggling Joel slid himself out of Katherine’s pussy slowly, taking the tissue she handed him. “We had a foundling at the firehouse today. Little boy about 4 months old and no family.” he cleaned himself and Katherine off. 

“I saw the picture Ben sent me,” she showed him. “you look very natural with him. I’d love to have Kelsey now just to see you with her like that.” 

“Now now,” the firefighter saw Kelsey bouncing around inside Katherine’s belly. “it seems like our sex stirred her up a bit.” 

“It did. She gives me such a hard time when we get intimate. When I climax my entire uterus spasms wildly and I think she hates that.” 

“I think so too. Anyway, you must be getting tired.” 

“Yeah. I’m tired of being pregnant. She’s been in a hell of a temper today and guess who has to bear it? I swear she’s leaving handprints on all my organs!” 

“Come on my sweet thing let’s head to bed. I’m tired too.” he helped to haul her off of the couch, turned off the TV, then they both walked into the bedroom. “So are you having any pain or anything?” 

Katherine took off her skirt and sat down on the bed, swinging her legs up so she was lying down. “I get some completely random contractions now and then. I figure it’s the fake ones since there’s no rhyme or reason for it.” 

“Yep,” Joel changed and slipped into bed next to her, his hand on her stomach. “your body is preparing itself for labor. You’re going to notice she will be in the head down position which is exactly what you want.” 

“I imagine I’ll know when that happens. She won’t be a cheeky little shit anymore.” 

“She could find a way to make your life even more interesting.” 

“How’s that?” 

“Well, when she’s head down her butt will be facing us, she’ll be using her limbs a lot more and that will make your belly contort in bizarre ways you never thought possible.” 

“Oh boy. Suppose I better get used to it.” she closed her eyes. 

“Not for long. Only two months more and you’ll go into labor. She can’t hide inside you forever.” 

Kelsey kicked her father’s hand as if she was trying to defy him. Smiling, Joel closed his eyes and began to fantasize about being a dad to his daughter. 

**

The last week of March Katherine came into the house singing a song of joy. All of the scholars had gone through their standardized testing with flying colors which spoke well for her teaching methods. Joel was on shift at the firehouse and he hadn’t had time to clean properly so Katherine pulled the vacuum out of the closet and set to work. Lucifer ran way as soon as he saw the vacuum, hiding under the bed until she was done with it. 

The teacher worked hard at house cleaning, even tackling the bathroom and dusting the sills until she began to feel dizzy. “I must be overdoing it.” all her work was done so she chose to lie down on the couch, Lucifer jumping on her and giving her an arrogant cat stare. “Aw come here my furry cat baby,” she hugged him. The cat kneaded her chest which made her sigh in delight. “my dear pussy you can work magic with those paws!” 

At the same time Joel and the others had been doing a routine check at the hospital where there was a carbon monoxide leak in the intensive care unit. They expertly traced the source to a malfunctioning furnace vent which led down into the recesses of the hospital near the medical waste incinerator. 

“Your HVAC people can come out and replace that pretty quick.” Joel advised, seeing an attendant throw something into the incinerator. He was a little apprehensive being down in the hospital that far and not knowing what he’d come into. The hospital had a morgue-all hospitals did but he didn’t want to see it; he and the other firefighters had to help scrape dead people off the side of the road and other accident scenes so they’d seen enough. 

The trio were about ready to leave the hospital when one of the doctors stopped them with a shout of, “You can’t leave! You’ve been exposed!” 

“Exposed to what?” Ben asked as three people in full hazmat gear came running up, behind them 3 gowned orderlies with gurneys. 

“We’ll answer your questions after we submit you to a preliminary round of tests.” the doctor promised in a placating manner. Ben, Charlie and Joel all glanced at each other in confusion but their time to ponder the situation was cut short-Joel felt a sharp poke in his neck and immediately felt weak. He sat on the gurney that had just rolled up behind him, trying to get rid of the dizziness in his eyes. 

“What did you dope me with?” Ben and Charlie were lying back on the gurneys, both of them unconscious and Joel could see that he would soon follow them. 

“Short lasting fentanyl,” the nurse explained. “we’re going to take you in for tests and you’ll need to spend a few days with us.” 

“But my girlfriend.. she’s..” the firefighter felt the drug affecting him, so he had to lie back and let the others do their thing. All three of them had been on oxygen and x-rays had been taken of their abdominal and pleural cavities. 

With the initial round of testing done an hour later, Ben, Charlie and Joel were moved to a precaution room. A nurse moved around the three of them, starting IVs while another nurse started contacting family members to let them know what was going on. 

**

Katherine was jolted out of her nap by her cell phone ringing. Kelsey gave a hard push, letting her mom know she didn’t like the disturbance either. “I’m with you, baby,” she put her hand on the belly hoping that would calm Kelsey down. “hello?”

“Ms. Maguire? I’m Dixie, a charge nurse with the hospital. Joel and the others came in to do a routine inspection when they were exposed to a virus.” 

“Is he all right?” 

“We’re taking all three of them into quarantine for the rest of the week. The virus is very contagious but we have some tests that are extremely accurate and we’ll know whether they are sick or not before the week is over. Right now as it is we are keeping them sedated for the time being in order not to stress them out too much.” 

“That would be a bad idea,” Katherine disagreed. “what you’ve got to realize is that Joel isn’t the type of person to start trouble if that’s what you’re worried about. Firefighters know what kind of mess they get into and you do them a disservice by not trusting them.” 

“Are you saying you won’t consent to them being sedated?” 

“Of course I won’t! I don’t know how much weight my word carries but it’s totally unnecessary. They should only get sedation if they have trouble sleeping. What you need to understand is that Joel will be anxious to get out-I’m almost eight months pregnant right now and he wants to be with me and the baby before she’s born.” 

“Oh, congrats! I understand what you mean and we’re trying to expedite the process. Our firefighters need to be back out on duty and we can’t let this stop them.” 

“Thank you for understanding. When can I stop by and see him?” 

“Anytime tomorrow. That’s a Saturday, right? Yeah.” the two of them bade each other good night and hung up. Katherine had supper and went straight to bed, worried about Joel. 

Kelsey seemed to know that her father wasn’t around that night and she let Katherine know her displeasure; aiming a volley of kicks and pushes at random. Irritated, Katherine sat up in bed, letting the moonlight spill over her pregnant body. She remembered the first night she and Joel had spent together; it had been a moonlit night much like that night. 

“It’s all right, baby girl,” she hushed, rubbing her belly in the sore spots. “I remember the night we conceived you. We were out on a camping trip in the White mountains of New Hampshire, had just pitched the tent and were lying outside on the smooth rock. We just had supper, though both of us were still pretty energetic as the sun was going down. It was August, we were feeling frisky so we had sex. I didn’t really get what was going on-we played it pretty fast and loose with my female cycle. At the time I thought I was due to get my monthly but it turns out I was in my fertile window. Your father has a very powerful sex drive with potency to match. We didn’t know it then but the gears had been set in motion to change our lives forever.” 

Kelsey seemed to soften her blows for a minute as her mother talked. Katherine adapted her tone of voice to be softer and milder like Joel’s was when he talked to her. “Then in September I found out I was and still am pregnant with you my dear. I’ve never looked back and neither has he.” 

After a long few minutes Katherine realized that Kelsey wasn’t moving very much so she put her hand on her lower belly. “Calming down in there, honey? Going to let Mom sleep now?” 

No response so Katherine turned on her side and fell asleep. 

Later on that night Joel woke up slowly, eyes opening up a little bit to see that he was in a precaution room. Charlie and Ben were still unconscious next to him, each one had an IV in their arms, each were on nasal cannulas and dressed in scrubs. 

“First one awake, eh?” a nurse checked his vital signs. “I talked to your girlfriend, Mr. Harrison, and may I be the first to offer my congrats on you becoming a dad in the next couple of months.”

“Thanks. I can’t wait to be a dad. Swear it’s in my blood.” 

“Not many men say that, Joel. They usually act like childbirth is the ultimate act of coercion. They’re finally enslaved to this tiny person that relies on them for their every want and need and see that as a bad thing. They still can’t grow up. The fact that you know you want it and so does she makes all the difference in the world.” 

“I agree. Seems like Kelsey is taking forever to get here though!” 

The nurse laughed as she checked Ben and Charlie. “Better she stay where she is and not be born premature, right? She needs the time to put on some weight and get more adjusted to the outside world before being outside in it.” 

“True. She could be premature and be locked into a NICU which would cause her mother and me severe anxiety.” 

“There you go-the fact she’s not here yet is a good sign,” the nurse encouraged him. “there will be days down the road, rough ones when you might think you wish she wasn’t around yet. It’ll be very trying.” 

“I could never think that way about my daughter. But why exactly are we here anyway?”

“Well, the attendant was burning something in the incinerator which was actually highly contagious. They weren’t wearing any PPE and exposed all 3 of you to it. I am going to take your blood and send it off for testing in a moment.” 

“In what nature is this contagion?” he didn’t flinch as the nurse filled a test tube with his blood. She labeled it and injected it with an anticoagulant, then put it in a rack. 

“It’s viral in nature and we’ve studied it very well. The problem is even though we can treat it, the test we use is time consuming. We have applied for grants to try to expedite the test and make it quicker but you’ll still be here for about two or three days.” 

“Could be longer.” 

“We need you guys back out on the street and protecting us from fires so we are going to make it short as possible! Your families need you.” 

“OK. Do I really need this cannula? How does the virus act? What should I look for as far as symptoms?” 

“Symptoms of a cold pretty much. It’s a lot like a cold but it gets severe quickly and while it doesn’t kill, it can leave you with a pleurisy which you don’t want.” 

“Bad lungs? It doesn’t seem like much.” 

“You three are in excellent health so if you do get it the virus won’t be too bad on you. We just want to prevent the people with compromised immune systems and the elderly to get it.” 

“Oh,” a memory surfaced in his mind. “Katherine’s got a compromised immune system. Crohn’s.” 

“Poor thing. That doesn’t have any impact on the baby, does it?” 

“Not as far as we can tell. She had surgery last June to fix stricturing and hasn’t had a problem since.” 

“There’s a genetic component to Crohn’s; it seems to run in families,” the nurse changed Joel’s IV bag. The firefighter was exhausted from the confusion of the day which didn’t seem likely; he’d spent a lot of it in a drug induced sleep so how was he tired? Possibly from the drugs they were already giving him, he reasoned. 

**

The next two days were full of anxiety for Katherine. She tried to mask it well and did it enough to not let on to anyone else but still she was worried. Joel had been allowed his cell phone so he had been texting her back and forth. The first message was that he wanted to play doctor with her when he was discharged which made her laugh. She visited every night and each time Joel saw her he was worried; she had gotten progressively paler with concern for her boyfriend. He tried to lighten up the situation by telling her that there was nothing wrong with him but she didn’t believe him at all. 

Ben and Charlie didn’t develop symptoms either and after three days in close quarters with them Joel was ready to kill them himself. 

Katherine appeared at the window to see Joel but she spied her boyfriend lying on the bed sound asleep. Not wanting to wake him up she talked to Charlie for a few minutes then Ben took over. 

“Charlie’s been having a hard time with the drugs they’re giving him,” a door closed. “he calls it traumatic shits.” 

The teacher laughed. “Drugs don’t sit right with him do they? It’s the final night so he’ll be squeaky clean anyway.” 

“There you go,” Ben coaxed. “you’ve been looking very pale lately and you need some color in those cheeks. You’re still worried I know, but you need to sleep better. Is the baby giving you problems?” 

“Actually no. She’s still active and likes to irritate me but that’s normal.” 

“What month are you in again?” 

“This weekend I start the 8th month.” 

“You must be looking forward to pushing her out-evict her in a way.” 

“In a way. Joel is threatening to put another one up me right now so I would have to get him to cool his heels for at least a year.” 

“Fear not; the flip side of pregnancy is child care after the fact. You’ll both be too exhausted to start procreating right away. You both will be more vigilant of birth control for at least the first six months.” 

“He’s threatening to put a pair of twins up my pussy. I know that’s all due to chance and not any cold hard facts.” 

“All chance.” Ben and Katherine talked for awhile longer until she was too tired to keep it up. The firefighter told her to drive safely home, promised to have Joel contact her when he awakened, then watched her leave the unit. 

“Keeping you guys here tonight is just a formality; I’m sure you’re not carriers of the virus so if all goes well tonight you can break out of here tomorrow.” 

The doctor was true to his word. Joel was the first to wake up, he was told that he had tested negative for the virus and he was free to go. Charlie and Ben were told the same and the three of them exited the hospital like they were leaving jail. 

“I hope Katherine is taking it easy!” Joel jumped into the taxi and took it straight back to the firehouse where he picked up his car and hightailed it home. Ben had told him that Katherine still looked haggard from the stress of the situation and she had said that Kelsey had been reacting to it as well. The teacher put on a brave front in person but she hadn’t been able to sleep the past 12 hours and it was starting to show. 

“Honey, I’m home!” he sang out, bursting into the second floor of the house. Katherine had been sitting at the table trying to work on her lesson plans but had been distracted by her worry.

“Oh Joel, I’m so glad you’re home!” right off the bat he could tell that she was acting strangely. He welcomed her hug and inspected her face critically. 

“You’re overtired!” he accused her. “You told us you were going to sleep last night!” 

“Now don’t get mad.” was all Katherine got out before her eyelids slid shut and she went slack in his arms. Joel lowered her to the floor gently, trying to stave off panic. 

“Katherine!” sure she wasn’t faking it this time Joel dashed over to the closet where he kept a first aid box handy.


	19. Chapter 19

For Katherine she heard a muddle of one voice talking a little bit, her arm felt like it was being crushed for a moment, then strong arms were moving her. The teacher felt a warm soft bed greet her tired body, her dress was removed and the bedclothes spread over her. 

Dreams ran amok through her mind; one moment Joel was holding their baby girl in their arms but the next he was talking to Katherine’s enormous belly. She seemed stuffed with more than one child inside her but when she tried to tell him that he would contradict her and say that the ultrasound was only indicative of one. The teacher knew that she had more than one up inside her; why wasn’t anyone listening to her for that? A mom always knew, she was a mom, knew, and so it must be true, right? 

The next thing she knew she was on a river raft with Joel, splashing him with the backwash from the oars. Between them was their camping gear but unfortunately the calm river turned into raging rapids that she didn’t know how to navigate. The raft overturned, she fell out, washed up against a big rock and held out a hand for Joel. He washed right past her, swept away in the rapids, narrowly missing her hand. Katherine screamed in fear as he was headed right for the waterfall. 

“Shhhh.. you’re safe.” who was talking to her? Katherine found herself standing next to a big empty hole that was filled with rain then it started to snow. Not knowing what to do the teacher found herself dressed in the burnt orange opera dress she’d worn to the Fireman’s Ball except now she had a baby belly in front. The scene shifted around her from a snowy landscape to a desolate field. Joel was standing some hundred yards away holding his infant daughter, talking to her while another figure bore down upon her. 

“You ruined me, you no good bitch!” Arthur snarled. Instinctively Katherine curled her hands around her baby bump to protect her child from his tirade but realized that she didn’t have one anymore. Arthur started yelling at her, heaping abuse upon the teacher when she spied Joel and Kelsey out of the corner of her eye and began to run towards her boyfriend and daughter while Arthur pursued her. She tripped halfway, going down while Arthur screamed at her, his mouth appeared more elongated than humanly possible while Joel and Kelsey took no notice of her at all. 

“No!” Katherine cried out. The scene twisted and distorted around her weirdly then everything was black.

“Whoa girl, easy!” Joel’s voice sounded. “Wake up!” 

Katherine opened up her eyes to see dim light and Joel sitting on the edge of the bed like he always did. She was hot and sweaty, breathing like she’d just run a race, and extremely confused. Joel looked tired, holding a damp washcloth in one hand. The entire bedroom was cloaked in black apart from one bedside lamp while Lucifer sat on the dresser, looking insulted that someone just woke him from his nap. 

“Hey,” he greeted her. “how are you feeling?”

“Confused.” Katherine saw that Joel had put her in a purple button down nightshirt which was a little sweaty. It must have been nighttime, she thought, glancing over to the window. 

The firefighter sniggered as he wiped her face with the washcloth, removing a few strands of her hair. “I don’t blame you.” she noticed he was wearing a stethoscope around his neck.

“What happened to me?” she inquired in a faint tone of voice which aroused Joel’s concern a little bit. He checked her temperature, brushing his hand against her sweaty forehead, thinking about how she had given him a little fright. The firefighter had seen a lot of victims pass out in front of him but it was nothing compared to having someone you love suddenly lose consciousness. 

“Well, you fainted when I got home from the hospital. Gave me a fright and I thought that it was just a reaction from you being exhausted. You slept a long time and at about 6 AM this morning you spiked a fever.” the Joel explainned, smoothing back her damp hair. 

“Oh. I see.” her boyfriend looked like he’d aged a little bit since she saw him last. Some of the lines around his eyes were deeper but she attributed that to a trick of the light. 

“Do you? Katherine, it’s ten PM. You’ve been fighting a fever for almost 14 hours now and you’re wearing me out,” he chuckled. “I land in quarantine on suspicion of being sick then my pregnant girlfriend falls ill so I have to play nursemaid.” 

“Kelsey? Is she OK?” Katherine wanted to sit up but Joel pressed her shoulder back down. 

“She’s fine. I’ve been monitoring you and her constantly. I’ve never seen a hint of distress from her. You are not well enough to be sitting up yet so stay supine.” 

“She’s tough.” the teacher pressed both hands to her belly but wasn’t surprised when there wasn’t any movement. 

Joel laughed. “You’re both tough and incredibly stubborn. Your fever finally broke so I can rest easy for a change.” 

“Right.” Katherine closed her eyes and was soon asleep. 

“You women,” the firefighter muttered, putting his hand on the bulge that was Kelsey. “seems like you’re trying to hang me out to dry.” he turned off the light and climbed into bed. Katherine had been sick before but not like that. Joel knew it wasn’t much to worry about; people got sick all the time but Katherine had always been in very good health so it was unsettling. Even the best of people got sick and needed care once in awhile, he had to remind himself. His job pretty much dictated that with the cases he got. 

The next morning Joel got up at his usual time; Katherine did not stir at all. He pressed a hand to her forehead to make sure the fever hadn’t come back then roused her. “Katherine? Do you want help taking a shower?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” she opened up her eyes. “I’ll need help. I feel weak.” 

“No problem.” Joel stood behind her in the shower to support her if necessary. She washed her hair and face and because he couldn’t help himself, snaked his arms around her waist and washed her belly for her, a little grin on his face. 

“Now,” he turned off the water, got a towel to dry himself off, knotted it around his waist then put a towel around Katherine’s shoulders. “I’ve got to go and work today. You be good and relax all right? I’ll be home tomorrow morning.” 

“I’ll be fine, sweet thing.” 

“Make sure of it. Today means you’re in your eighth month of pregnancy. Congrats on making it this far.” Joel helped Katherine over the tub and sat her down on the bed. 

“Thanks I guess. I’m going to lie low, probably take Monday off so I can get back to a hundred percent.” she toweled off, dried her hair, then put on a new button up nightshirt. Katherine watched Joel as she put the nightshirt on and fastened one button so her chest wouldn’t show. His eyes traveled down to her stretched out stomach which loomed down and occupied her entire lap now. 

“You still look a little flushed but I know your fever is gone. I’ll check messages on and off and you tell me if you still feel sick.” 

“All right.” Katherine didn’t feel like doing much that day anyway so she smiled dimly when Joel kissed her forehead, leaned down and kissed her belly, making Katherine feel a big push, then he left for work. 

The teacher drew on her robe, had a little breakfast and went back to bed, sleeping until noon when the sun was high and the snow had started to melt a little bit. Lucifer had jumped onto the couch, kneaded the back with a sleepy eyed stare and settled down. Katherine smiled and tickled the cat’s ears, then flicked a finger at his big plushy tail. The cat responded by putting his paw on her hand to stop her but with the claws retracted. 

“I had so many strange dreams, Lucifer.” he shut his eyes as she began to talk and started dozing off. Katherine put her hands on the belly noticing that even the baby didn’t seem to want to irritate her mother. “Maybe she knows I was sick.” 

The teacher was really enjoying her eighth month of pregnancy so far. She had become bigger yes, she couldn’t see her lap and putting on her shoes were an ordeal now but she wouldn’t trade her experience for the world. Gazing at the looming belly she idly dragged one finger across the vast expanse, seeing a shadowy movement under her skin. Closing her eyes Katherine felt the baby stirring, her belly jumped up and down and contorted in odd shapes. 

“Oh, that hurt!” she opened up her eyes, seeing that her belly was making a rippling motion like the baby was kicking up a storm at sea. Giggling she rubbed her stomach in a soothing motion until her daughter calmed down. 

**

Joel, Charlie and Ben returned to the firehouse after practicing cold water rescue techniques. Charlie was babbling on about his newest girlfriend who was a bartender at a local strip club. The firefighter grabbed his travel mug out of the fridge, filled it with fresh water and took a haul off of it. “Let me tell you guys she’s got a full rack on her! Those are really fun to motor boat!” 

“Oh yeah?” Joel smirked. “Katherine’s tits have become huge since I knocked her up and she enjoys the motor boat a lot. I get slapped on both sides.” 

“Oh! Do you titty fuck her?” 

“I don’t see the attraction really. She has a trick that drives me absolutely insane with pleasure.” 

“Oh! What is that?” 

“She can do this vaginal thing which massages my dick and just gets me worked up.” Joel took the cap off a bottle of water and swigged down a dose. 

“What’s it like, fucking a pregnant chick?” 

“It’s fun. Well, in the beginning I got off on just knowing that I got her pregnant. It makes me feel more like a man that I got her that way. I did my duty! Now when we have sex I have to give her belly more clearance! It’s gotten to as big as it will get and the baby will drop down soon into the correct position.” 

“You know, I kinda think that I missed my chance with having babies and a good woman like you have,” Charlie mused. “maybe I’m living too fast.” 

“Think about what you want,” Joel advised him, taking another swig. “then go and get it. I didn’t think I’d fall in love with Katherine but I did. You can never tell which way luck will run.” 

“True. Suppose I keep my options open and start thinking with the big head, not the little one.” 

“That’s the way to go,” Joel grinned. “what do you say we-” he was cut off when the tones dropped overhead, advising him that there was a structure fire in an abandoned building near town. 

“Suit up, let’s get working!” Charlie sang out for Ben. The firefighters donned their turnout gear, clasped their hats in their laps while they drove, and went out for the call. 

On the scene Charlie expertly steered the engine next to the hydrant, brought down the tool used to open up the hydrant and clamped it onto the bolt at the top. With Ben helping him the two of them released the bolt, Joel brought over the correct hose size for the job at hand, attached the hose coupling while Ben engaged the pump on the truck. 

“All right, let’s go!” Charlie and Ben pulled on their protective wrist covers and hoods, donned their hats, put on their SCBA gear and adjusted the masks so the seal was tight. Joel remained behind, putting on his gloves and aiming the hose to put the fire out on the roof. 

“Anyone inside?” the firefighter asked a passerby. 

“No, it’s been derelict for years!” the heat was intense. In spite of it being early April there was still snow on the ground and it was thirty degrees outside. An ambulance pulled up for support in case someone got hurt. 

In the interior of the building, Ben and Charlie got separated and before Ben knew it the ceiling was about ready to cave in. He hollered for Charlie to move it, used the radio, but he saw the bracing truss was old and was getting rapidly softer with the heat. Charlie was done his sweep of the area and turned back, looking for Ben when an ominous creak was heard and Ben found some flaming debris from the ceiling raining down around him. 

“Charlie!” Ben called. “Get me out of here!” 

“Coming right up!” Charlie dug Ben out of the rubble, then both of them started to crawl for the door under the thick smoke blanketing the building. Before either one of them could more than two feet a wall of flame erupted; Charlie threw Ben behind him, crouching down as Ben scrabbled away and screamed as the ceiling fell in completely. 

“Charlie!” the firefighter screamed. “Mayday!” he barked into his radio. “Officer 3 missing!” he found a weak spot in the wall and lurched out of it, bringing with him a gust of air which the wind kicked up. A fresh burst of flame ignited because of the wind with more intense heat. Ben felt himself sweating like mad as he dashed for the fire engine. 

“Four alarm fire!” Joel upgraded the status, causing the word to be sent out for firefighters in the next town to come over. They arrived as quickly as they could, attached their hoses to the hydrant and set to work. 

“Oh God!” Ben snatched an axe, then cut down the front door of the building. With the water coming in from all directions Ben was safe as he hacked at the debris which soon revealed Charlie’s arm. “Charlie! Can you hear me OK?” with superhuman strength he took Charlie’s upper body and wrenched it from where he was lying in the rubble. “Charlie!” Charlie’s eyes were closed, Ben found his distress beacon in one pocket and activated it. 

Joel turned from where he’d been hosing down part of the building. That was a sound nobody ever wanted to hear; firefighters charged into the building, armed with axes while a paramedic stood by, waiting for the victim. 

“I swear to God I hope Charlie’s OK!” Joel prayed, barely remembering to control the hose before it went haywire. 

Ben, followed by two other firefighters, got out of the building. He released Charlie’s breathing tank and hat, the others slid him neatly right out of his turnout jacket and examined the prone person. “He’s not breathing!” one of them said. Ben started to breathe for him while the paramedics grabbed the gurney, the tools needed, and then rushed at Charlie. 

Dizzy, Ben glanced over at Joel who helped him up and let the other paramedics do their work. He watched through blurry vision, unstrapping his breathing tank, taking his hat off and watching as Charlie was removed from the scene.

“Hey, Ben,” Joel put a hand on his shoulder. “he’ll be all right. Remember he’s gotten out of all sorts of situations.” 

“I hope you’re right.” was all Ben said. 

The firefighters finally managed to get the fire under control after several hours’ worth of fighting. Exhausted and sweaty, Joel and Ben tramped around the perimeter, making sure all of the fire was out, looking for any burning embers that they might have missed on initial inspection. The fire marshal was called, the fire chief was there to lend a hand so they had plenty of manpower to help out. Joel took off his helmet and hood, wiping his face when Ben summoned him to the fire engine. They both turned off the pump and closed the hydrant down properly when the fire chief sat down on the running board, face in hands. 

“What is it, boss?” 

“It’s Charlie. He didn’t make it.” 

Joel and Ben both felt like they were punched. “How’s that?” 

“Well, he revived briefly in the ambulance but there were tell tale signs of hypoxia all over him-black fingertips, etc. Apparently he’d gone past the point of dangerous dehydration, his body went into shock and shut down completely. He also had a concussion from the rubble he was buried in, he bled a lot and had a subdural hematoma.” 

“That explains a lot,” Joel said slowly. “the concussion was just secondary; the loss of air just finished him off.” 

The chief gulped and nodded. “The fire marshal has to do a press conference. You guys can stick around if you want but this stuff needs to get back to the firehouse, etc.” 

“We’ll get cleaned up and back to the firehouse, boss,” Ben put a reassuring hand on the fire chief’s shoulder. “come on back so we can chat with you.” 

“I should come on back with you so we can debrief properly. It’s been a traumatizing day.” 

“OK.” Joel detached the hose and started winding it up, thinking about his captain. Chief Michael Farris had seen a lot and probably done it all by his stories but the state had not had a line of duty death in 25 years; something they were quite proud of until today. Accidents happened, they were usually very careful but sometimes the situation got the best of everyone. 

With the other firefighters’ help, Ben and Joel got their things together and headed back to the firehouse. In shock neither one of them said a word to each other the entire time they cleaned their gear and dried the hose. Ben went into the kitchen, feeling hungry despite his shock, then hollered to see if Joel wanted anything. 

The two of them had some supper, not paying attention to what they ate at all, then went upstairs and got all of Charlie’s things together. Chief Farris came in around 7 PM and the three of them gathered together in the kitchen, sitting at the bar. 

“Fire marshal Davis gave the press conference,” Farris told them. “as standard operating procedure in this kind of circumstance, even if the cause of death seems really obvious, the body does need to be autopsied.” 

“Why, boss?” Ben asked in a hushed voice. “They know what killed him.” 

“We know that but state laws say it has to happen,” Farris tried to placate them. “in case there’s any risk to the two of you on any future calls. It’s a failsafe.” 

“Damn. This is an absolute horrible, fucking day,” Ben swore, knowing the chief would not mind the swearing. “I was with him-he was protecting me from that huge inferno in there! He threw me back so I wouldn’t get hurt! God, I wish I had a time machine!” the firefighter smacked his hand down the countertop so hard it hurt.

“That’s the other thing-Ben, you’re sure you’re all right? You got trapped too I hear.” 

“I’m fine. That shit does a really good job protecting my ass.” Ben’s face was a little red from the fire and so was Joel’s. 

“Well, I have a grief counselor standing by in case you two need it. The other fire companies are setting up rotating shifts so they can help you guys out for the next week. We’ll be having an honor guard for Charlie and two firefighters will be standing watch over his body when the coroner is done with him.” 

“Sure, boss. Keep us informed.” 

“Are we still on shift or how is that going to work?”

“Joel, you two are off shift for the rest of tonight. Tomorrow at 12 we’ll have a press conference and logistics setting up for Charlie’s public memorial service. His family are already getting their gear together; his brother will come up tomorrow morning with his wife to pick up Charlie’s things and take his truck back home. After we get the all clear from the coroner we’ll be there as they transfer the body to the hearse and funeral home.” 

“OK.” neither one of them would be there at that point. Ben and Joel gathered their things and walked out to their cars. “Joel, can I ask you a favor?” 

“Sure, man.” he nearly slid on a patch of black ice while opening up his Explorer’s back door and slinging his overnight bag inside. 

“Can I stay with you and Katherine tonight?” Ben asked. “I just don’t want to be alone right now.” 

“Sure you can,” Joel put his hand on his friend’s arm. “Katherine’s not going to mind. We have a guest bedroom you can use. I know how you feel; I need some company too; besides Katherine.” 

“Thanks for understanding.” he followed Joel to his house. 

**

Katherine flicked off the TV when she heard Joel pulling up into the driveway followed by someone else. The teacher put away her lesson plan, standing up and stretching her back. She peered down into the driveway to see Joel and another figure enter into the garage. 

“Just a word of wise; Katherine’s was sick last night so she’s going to be a little fragile.”

“All right.” Ben was on alert as Joel opened up the staircase door and ascended. The two of them saw Katherine sitting on the couch with Lucifer in her arms. The cat escaped from her arms then stood on her shoulder, waving his big tail in her face. 

“Asshole cat.” she let him jump off of her shoulder, landing on the floor with a dull thud. Lucifer, with his big cat paws, stomped across the floor to rub against Joel’s ankles. 

“Hey asshole,” he picked him up, hearing the purring start up. “been making Katherine mad?” he tickled the little pink nose. 

“Hey guys. Wow, I get two great gentlemen tonight. Let me guess, Joel; you wanted him here to take care of me tonight so you could sleep better?” the two firefighters gave off a bereaved air which Katherine could sense so she tried to make them smile a little bit. 

Ben tickled Lucifer who purred louder. He hung back as Joel put the cat down and sat down next to Katherine on the couch. “Katherine, something happened today.” 

“What is it?”

“I don’t know quite how to say this so I’ll just come right out with it,” Joel began. “Charlie died today.” 

The color immediately drained from Katherine’s face. “How?” 

Ben took over telling the story from there, emphasizing the point that Charlie had saved his life but at the end, even though he told of Charlie’s heroism, Katherine’s eyes were spilling over. The two firefighters took her in a group hug, allowing themselves to cry a little bit too. 

“You poor guys,” she consoled them when she could speak again. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for you right now. I feel pretty bad and I barely knew him.” 

“He always did like you, Katherine,” Joel said fondly. “he gave me a kick in the ass when we were first dating. He told me to go for broke and tell you my intentions.” 

“Worked, didn’t it?” Ben piped up, gesturing to her belly. “I don’t think that he ever thought you would knock her up so quickly.” the teacher smirked and took his hand, pressing it down to feel the baby kick. Kelsey obeyed for once, giving him a smart thump which made him smile fleetingly. 

A little laughter followed that remark and the three of them sat around for a moment longer when Katherine asked what the plan was. “The coroner has to perform an autopsy-standard operating procedure, then when that’s done we have to be there when the hearse comes to pick him up. We mount a 24 hour guard over his body when he’s released into the funeral director’s care until he is buried. There will be a press conference tomorrow, a longer one in the afternoon and we have to be there.” 

“Oh. OK. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you guys. There’s only one funeral home here in town and they took care of my parents when they were killed. The director is really nice; you’ll like him.” 

Ben glanced at Joel, knowing nothing about Katherine’s family but didn’t say anything. 

“My heart’s breaking for you guys,” Katherine stood up. “Ben, are you here for the night? I’ll go make up the bed for you in the guest room.” 

“No, I’ll do that,” Ben interrupted, standing up. “Joel told me you were sick last night and you need to pace yourself.” 

“Let me grab you a set of linens from the closet and you’ll be set.” Joel was off to the linen closet then went right back to Katherine. “Are you feeling all right?” 

“I’m all right. I’m drained really, but a good night’s sleep is what we need.” 

“What time is it?” they glanced at the clock near the TV. “Almost nine. I think we all need an early night.” Katherine stood up, no small task on her part now, but she managed it. Joel checked her over with his eyes, making sure that she wasn’t any worse for wear from her illness. 

“I’m going to get changed. Coming, sweetie?” Katherine paused in the guest room doorway for a moment as Joel stood in the doorway of their room. 

“Give me a minute. I want to offer Ben a goodnight. Hopefully you both get one.” she knocked at the door and entered as Ben looked up, clad in his pajama pants and old t-shirt. 

“I wanted to say goodnight, Ben, and I’m truly sorry about Charlie. He was a great guy.” 

“He was irritating at times but overall a great guy,” he agreed, sitting on the edge of the bed. “right now it doesn’t feel real.” 

“The first few days it doesn’t feel real at all. When my parents died I was in denial for a long time after the funeral. I got mad at myself, forced myself to see a counselor and after a long time I could come to terms with it.” 

“When did it happen?” 

“Almost 12 years ago now. They died in May. Drunk driver reamed them out as they were going off on a cross country trip with pals. I was already in college for teaching.” she answered, eyes growing dark with memories. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Thanks. It was a long time ago and there’s nothing I could have done about it so there’s no point in looking at what ifs.” 

“There’s truth to that.” 

“Yes there is. Now, try to get a good night’s sleep and I’ll make breakfast for you two.” Katherine said goodnight and went to her and Joel’s room. Joel didn’t say a word, climbing into bed with her and drawing the covers up tightly. He draped an arm around Katherine’s big belly, hoping for a little movement from Kelsey which would soothe him a little more. 

He got his wish. The baby gently thumped his hand from the inside as if to say that she was there too. Dimly he smiled as he heard Katherine’s breathing even out into shallow respirations of sleep. 

**

The next day the press conference was held. As Charlie’s superior, Joel spoke some words about Charlie’s character. “Charlie was an upstanding guy; he had the gift of gab. The patients really loved him because he would talk to them as an equal, he had an easygoing nature, loved to prank us in the firehouse from time to time, that sort of guy. Charlie adored animals; I think he had at least 3 dogs at a time and a few cats He was always ready to lend a hand no matter what the circumstances.” 

Ben corroborated what Joel said, elaborating that Charlie liked the older characters in town and was a sucker for their stories, always asking for me. “He was an outgoing personable character who had a crazy sense of humor.” 

Farris turned the press conference into logistics for the planned memorial service and private internment at a nearby cemetery. Arrangements had been made to take him to Portland, an hour’s ride away, have the public service, then they would go directly to a churchyard in South Portland where he grew up. The family would have their private ceremony the previous day so their privacy would be respected. 

“Think you want to risk a trip into Portland?” Joel hugged Katherine outside the firehouse. “holy balls it’s cold for April.” 

“For Charlie, anything,” she said. That morning she had tried to put a good face on the day for Joel and Ben, but they seemed pretty stuck in the gloom that had overtaken the town. “I’ll go.” 

“Anyway, I’m taking the guard position over Charlie’s body. The coroner released the body to the funeral director a little while ago so I’ll go and relieve them in another hour.” 

“What about Ben?” the lanky firefighter looked lost as he discussed arrangements with Farris. 

“He’s coming with me. We’re doing 6 hour watches and we have a lot of other guys who volunteered to stay with him.” 

“It’s so symbolic, you guys not wanting to leave him,” Katherine’s eyes watered up. “I miss him a lot, he was so kind to me.” Joel took her into his arms while a photographer took a picture of them. 

“Will you be all right alone? It’s what, 2 now? We’ll be on guard at 3 and be off by about 8.” 

“OK.” she kissed Joel. 

One week after Charlie died the Stonehaven fire department boarded the bus that took them to Portland early in the morning. Joel and Ben took the fire engine, inviting Katherine to ride with them with the chief’s OK. Charlie’s family had their private family service the night earlier and now everyone else had the chance to say goodbye. Joel and Ben stood on either side of Katherine, dressed in their best, prepared to speak at the service. Charlie’s casket was brought in, a big photo of him was blown up on an easel and a flower arrangement looking like the firefighter’s crest was standing on the podium. First responders as far away as Massachusetts filed in to pay respect to their fallen comrade. 

Ben spoke first, saying how Charlie’s fast talking demeanor put patients at ease and he seemed able to take care of the most difficult without a problem at all. He recited the fireman’s prayer, told how Charlie saved his life in the last fire, then turned the platform over to Joel. 

Joel spoke of their early days together, mentioned the fact that Charlie was a notorious prankster, then said that Charlie was the one who encouraged him to get serious with his girlfriend. “Charlie had the gift of kicking me in the butt when he felt like I needed it. Now we’re on our way to starting a family all because of him.” Katherine had to smile as Farris gave her a tight lipped one from the platform. Joel rejoined her, taking her hand. 

“He was a fan of your singing too,” Ben said low in Katherine’s ear. “now let’s get out to the gravesite.” 

Joel, Katherine and Ben filed into the fire engine that would take Charlie’s body to the churchyard. Ben turned on the lights while the pallbearers loaded Charlie’s casket into the back of the engine, secured it, then removed the stairs. 

“I don’t like being in Portland,” the teacher shivered. “too many bad memories.” Joel rubbed her shoulder as the chief told them they were clear to go over the radio. Ben started driving out to the 295 on ramp. 

At the churchyard in back of a well known Baptist church, Katherine watched the pallbearers take the casket off the back of the engine then bring it to the gravesite. They put the casket on the lowering platform while the chaplain delivered the service. Standing beside the fire engine, Katherine had Joel and Ben with her, her hands entwined with theirs for support. 

When the service concluded, fat white snowflakes began to fall. The family departed, thanking the fire department for their work and dedication, the other fire department members left until it was just Joel, Katherine, and Ben left. Katherine walked boldly over to the casket and put a yellow rose on top of it. 

“We will meet again someday.” she said with an air of finality. 

“You really believe that?” 

“With every fiber of my being.” they boarded the engine and went home.


	20. Chapter 20

April faded into May and with it, the bright cheerful birds with colorful plumage started coming to the feeders that Joel had put up in the yard. Katherine smiled, putting her hands on the bump in front of her, knowing that soon it would be time for her to give birth. Now that the baby was upside down and in the ready to be born position she knew the time was starting to draw closer. The teacher unbuttoned her nightshirt, as she’d just gotten out of bed, then undid the buttons so that her belly poked free out of her clothing. “Almost time, baby girl.” 

“Talking to her again, huh?” Joel watched his pretty girlfriend turn from the window behind the couch. “Do you bore her too?” 

“Oh don’t be fresh with me!” the firefighter was paint splattered from doing the nursery. With Ben’s help he moved the spare bed into the music room next to the master bedroom and had Katherine pick out a paint color that she liked. She had picked out a light pastel green, helped paint the molding white and began to get the furniture needed. The teacher went into the bedroom to change into a loose top and skirt then glanced into the nursery. 

“Let’s see how it looks in there,” there were a few photos on the walls, one of Joel and Katherine grinning together in the firehouse, the grandparents and aunts filled a frame, and Joel had insisted on getting a flag to remember Charlie. The American flag was black and white striped with a red stripe down the center to indicate a line of duty death. Katherine always felt a bit sad to see it but she kept it there for Joel’s sake. “well that’s an interesting looking mobile.” 

Joel grinned as he watched her reaction. The mobile was in firefighter paraphenalia, complete with flashy red fire trucks, the crest, ladders, fire extinguishers and red turnout gear. “And to complete the image, a red kid’s sized fire hat!” 

“Where’d you get that? I think they don’t hand those out anymore.” Katherine never saw one nowadays. 

“It’s mine. I’ve had it since I was 4.” 

“Oh how sweet. Did you get the mail yet?” 

“I did, hot stuff. Right here.” he handed her a small pile of white envelopes. 

“Junk, junk, junk, credit card spam, junk, oh, one for us,” she slit open the envelope and drew out a white piece of paper. “Oh, God!” she dropped it like it was red hot to the touch. Joel picked it up, read it, then let it fall, face paling up. 

The paper fell to the floor, landing face up. The text read “I am coming for you Katherine! Nobody can save you now.” a picture from the newspaper was taped to the paper; the one of Joel and Katherine consoling each other outside the firehouse after the press conference about Charlie. 

“We gotta call Sylvia. I know the trial lasted longer than expected but she needs to be brought up to date,” Joel pulled out his phone. “try not to worry honey, he’s not going to get you or the baby.” 

“I hope she stays where she is until this is over.” she sat in the glider chair and put her face in her hands. The baby had been in a bad mood since she couldn’t move around freely anymore and was constantly squeezing her mother’s organs. The teacher glanced down at the bump, significantly more pronounced now that she was full term. Katherine had been wearing a skirt and a loose top that tied with a sash around the bust to give her more support and as she glanced up to see Joel on the phone, she felt a kick and looked down. Kelsey made her sash jump up and down as she tried to turn over but Katherine’s uterus had trapped her head and locked it down into position. The baby lashed out with a few vicious kicks, trying to get free but it wasn’t happening. 

Joel saw the sash move as well, causing a momentary smile to appear on his lips. He got Sylvia on the phone, told her of the latest development and she said she would be right over. 

“She’ll be over quickly, love,” the firefighter ended the call and stuck the phone in his back jeans pocket. “how are you doing?” 

“I just want this to be over with.” 

“Me too. I don’t like the idea of him threatening you and endangering our baby.” Joel took Katherine in his arms in a comforting hug, ignoring the whack from inside. 

“I guess that photo was too much for him,” Katherine smirked. “living my best life with someone who loves me. You notice how pregnant I look in that picture?” 

“Well I wasn’t going to say anything but yes.” 

“Oh you!” she smacked his hand gently. “That blue top makes me look bigger than I really am. But I feel bigger than I am so what the hell, right?” 

“You’re full term-you can’t get any bigger than this.” Joel’s hands encircled the span of her belly. “But she’s full term now and any day you could go into labor. I will drop what I’m doing and run to you, even if I’m in the middle of a shift. The chief OK’d this last month.” 

“Really? How’s Ben doing?” Ben had problems with depression after Charlie’s death for a few weeks then started seeking professional help. Joel never would have known that he’d been having nervous trouble as he put it, except he came to Joel one day and told him straight out what his issue was. 

“He’s doing better. He met someone in a grief support group and they seem to click. We’ll have to double date them sometime. Her name’s Maggie, he says, and she’s got a great sense of humor.” 

“Oh? What does she do?” 

“She’s a coder down at the hospital and does billing and coding for a living.” a police car pulled up and Sylvia came inside. 

Joel handed her the note which she processed as evidence, tucking it into her pocket. “Current intelligence says that Arthur is back in Stonehaven and he’s looking for you, Katherine. As you know, he lost the court case and the rest of his properties due to mismanagement. His personal fortune is down to less than fifty grand which will leave you some alimony but not much. The irresponsible spending just can’t be cured it seems.” 

“He’s intentionally running down his cash to avoid paying me. That’s the kind of guy he is.” her tone was bitter. 

“So it would seem. Anyway, he was sighted near the hospital today and I think he’s looking to come after you as soon as you go in to give birth.” 

“She’s low risk and I can deliver her right here without any problem,” Joel spoke up. “but we’re delaying the inevitable confrontation.” 

“I agree. Katherine, we need to draw him out. We would need to get you to incriminate him, get some sort of evidence on tape, that sort of thing.” 

“How can I help?” 

“Katherine!” Joel protested. “Are you going to put yourself in harm’s way and our baby too?” 

“If I can get rid of him once and for all, Joel, I’ll do it. He’s cast a whole pall over my entire pregnancy and future with you. I don’t feel safe because he’s out and going to come for me. If we set him up we have a chance. I won’t be alone-trained cops will be around me.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” he countered. “I don’t want you putting Kelsey in danger!” 

“Joel, it’s the only way we can do it safely and minimize the risks,” Sylvia piped up. “we don’t like this and I know you don’t either. We’ll have her in the hands of trained professionals and it will go according to plan.” 

“So is this a sting operation or what do you call it?” 

“It’s pretty much a sting. Now Katherine, we are going to take you down to the police station, give you basic firearms training, combat training, etc, then we will make the first move. Arthur is holed up in a hotel near the hospital so we need to get word to him that you’re in the neighborhood, he’ll rise to the bait, and then we’ll draw him away from the populated area to where he’ll see you.” 

“I’m game. Anything to make it stop already. Consider me locked and loaded.” Joel didn’t like it but he accepted the fact that once Arthur was stopped Katherine would be freed of him. 

“Nothing’s going to happen to me, Joel,” Katherine told him firmly, squeezing his hand. “I get that training and I’ll be good to go. I’ve got to do this-I won’t let him stand in my way anymore.” 

“I get it.” 

“See you at the police station tomorrow morning.” Sylvia stood up. 

“What about my job?” 

“We’ve told the school some cover story about a sick uncle. It should stick for a week.” 

“All right.” 

**

The week went by in a flash. Joel was working double shifts to distract himself from his worry while Katherine learned as much combat as she was capable of, trained on guns and ammunition, then learned a little psychology. 

“This is interesting, Joel,” she said Friday night in bed. “I don’t hold with Freud-I like Jung a lot better but psychology is fascinating stuff.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. Do you guys get many psychiatric or psychological cases in paramedicine?” 

“Not a lot. Usually the cops will take them in if they’re threatening harm to themselves. We don’t deal with them primarily but Charlie had the gift of talking them down. Ben and I tried but we never got to his level.” 

“Aw. I miss him so much still,” Katherine sympathized, kissing Joel’s cheek. “It’s been almost a month, right?” 

“Yeah. But anyway has the baby put up much of a fight lately?” 

“Oh she’s in a right snit now. Take a look.” the teacher undid her robe and her mountain of flesh stretched straight and true. As Joel watched, his unborn daughter reared up and planted a fist right against Katherine’s scar. “Ow!” 

“The movement’s so clear in there,” he could see a shadow then Katherine’s whole belly jumped up and distorted into strange shapes. “someone just tried to break out of their uterine prison.” 

“Well I would have to say I wish she wouldn’t. It’s easier to keep her in here than worry about her after she’s born,” Katherine put both hands on her bump like she was holding it. “think about it. She gets on demand nutrition and I don’t have to worry about changing her.” 

“Getting nostalgic about the early days?” 

“Well yeah. I think I might already be missing being pregnant. I feel pretty special and the fact she gets catered to inside me detracts from what’s going to happen once she’s here.” 

“I see how that happens,” Joel remarked, passing his hands up and down the bump. “you know, you always had a hot body but I think I might be developing a fetish. Ever since you started showing I haven’t been able to keep my hands off of you.” 

“You know, I can keep getting pregnant after she’s born if I decide to become a surrogate mom. Each baby brings in twenty grand with fully comped medical care too.” she had been pondering that option for awhile; ever since another teacher mentioned it in passing she’d looked it up and had been enamored with the whole process. Katherine really liked being pregnant and there was no reason she wouldn’t be able to do it more. The whole issue was with how Joel might think about it. 

Joel wasn’t too keen on the idea. He liked it better when it was his baby inside her as opposed to someone else’s. “I don’t know about that one, Katherine. Somehow it isn’t as intimate.” 

“Well, use your imagination. Are you getting hard right now?” 

“Yes,” he teased. “I want to knock on your cervix and ask how long Kelsey will be taking to come out!” 

“Sex could bring on labor and I really need tomorrow to go well. I can’t do the sting if I’m giving birth. Tomorrow night we can really go for it.” she promised him. 

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Joel vowed, making her laugh. 

“Titty fuck me then I don’t care.” 

**

The day had arrived. Joel and Katherine both showed up at the police station where they went downtown in a white unmarked van, parking near the hotel that Arthur had been staying at. The firefighter was to stay in the van with Sylvia while Katherine did her thing with her ex. Katherine was wearing a short skirt, sneakers, and a muffin top that showed off every inch of her bump. Sylvia had adorned her with a pretty golden necklace with a black onyx pendant that was really a microphone. In order to throw Arthur off in case he got suspicious Katherine was putting in black onyx earrings to match. 

“Try to stay relaxed. I have cops near you at all times. In case Arthur gets nasty they can fire on him in less than ten seconds,” Sylvia advised. “today’s the day we can get him!” 

“I can’t wait for this to be over.” she admitted shakily. The baby gave a push in agreement. Everyone saw the bump move up and down and Sylvia smiled. 

“You have excellent incentive. Ready?” 

“As I’ll ever be.” she kissed Joel goodbye and left the van. Katherine had taken more care to get dressed that morning to look a little stylish. She had curled her hair in waves and added tasteful makeup to look the part. Joel watched her walk away with the sunlight glinting off her dark hair and sighed, hoping this would not be the last time he saw her alive. 

Katherine stopped at a nearby street vendor, picked up an iced coffee and sat on the park bench near the white van. The baby didn’t seem to like the intrusion of something cold into their body and kicked hard so the belly jumped up and down a few times. The teacher ignored it, knowing she was in a mood. 

“Well I’ll be damned!” the voice made her blood run cold. Arthur Thorndike, looking like he’d aged at least five years since he last saw her, leered down at her from where he was standing nearby. “Katherine Maguire!” 

“Well, Art!” she matched his gusto. “If you can be civil we can chat.” 

“Civil’s my middle name!” he plunked down. Joel saw the man on the security camera nearby and frowned. 

“What?” Sylvia asked. 

“He looks high.” 

“Katherine, Joel says Arthur is high. Tread carefully.” she spoke into Katherine’s earpiece. The teacher shut her eyes once in acknowledgment. 

“Art, you reek of cheap liquor and hookers.” she complained. “Sorry, my sense of smell is on high alert.” 

“No kidding,” he pointed to her belly. “you’re getting fucked on a daily basis it seems.” 

“Yeah. Me and my guy are expecting a little girl within a few weeks.” 

“Good for you. I suppose he won’t want to fuck you after you pop that thing out and turn into a hormonal mess.” he smirked, dragging a hand across the slat of his cheek, thinking that Katherine looked like a bloated whale and he’d been lucky enough to escape. 

“Now why would you say that?” 

“I’ve seen what shambles good women turn into after a baby has wreaked a trail of destruction across their junk. You won’t look at a dick the same way again.” 

“Au contraire. I have a good man and he satisfies every part of me. I’d bear him fourteen kids if he asked me to.” the thought of Joel in her head gave her extra courage to put Arthur in his place, project the image of the carefree young couple that they were. 

“Wow, you changed a lot. You were never this heavy for sex when I was with you.” 

“And whose fault was that?” Katherine was done playing nice. “If you wanted babies all you had to do was fuck me at the right times.” 

“I fuck who I want and when I want.” he started getting defensive. “I pity your boy toy after he sees what pregnancy has done to your body! He’s not going to want to come near you after.” 

“Your method of fucking means raping properties of money, sneaky underhanded dealings, etc. You get off on all the chaos, treat your staff like garbage and you’re surprised when your properties go downhill,” she lashed out. “you haven’t changed at all.” 

“I would have gotten away with it if that attorney I hired hadn’t gotten cold feet and run!” 

“Christina?”

“I was the one who put that hit on her last fall! Damn asshole couldn’t kill her so I had to cancel the hit I had out on you. Good marksmen are hard to find in this nobody town!” something told Katherine to put some distance between them so she got up off the bench and backed away, mindful of not turning her back to him in case he tried to pull something. 

“You put a hit out on me?” her face drained of color as Art made a movement and brought a gun out of his coat pocket, standing up and locking her in his watery gaze. Katherine stood back as he brought the gun to bear right on Katherine’s baby belly. 

“He’s getting aggressive, move in on the target!” Sylvia barked, restraining Joel. 

“The first time I had to test the hit man on Christina and see if he was any good. He disappointed me so I shot him,” Art answered her. “the yahoo in the elementary school parking lot I hired to try to take you out but from what I understand he got himself caught and only hit your shoulder. You know how many hit people want to take on a pregnant woman? None! So I thought I’d come back to finish the job myself.” Katherine was frozen to where she stood as the cops started to move in. 

“If I die you’ll be tried for murder.” 

“I’ll already be tried for murder! I killed a hit man and now I’m going to kill you and your baby! Your other half will find another woman to fuck like a horny teen!” there was that psychological aspect that Arthur always did-make her doubt her prowess as a woman but it wasn’t going to work this time. 

“STAND DOWN!” the cop yelling made Katherine jump. Arthur smiled, Katherine saw his finger squeeze the trigger and closed her eyes. 

“I love you, Joel.” she said into the necklace, knowing that he would hear her. The firefighter murmured the same, watching from the monitor. Katherine put her hand on her baby bump, hoping that she would survive if the teacher didn’t. 

A shot rang out. 

The teacher opened up her eyes, confused. Nothing hurt. She over to see Joel charging towards her then saw that Arthur had been gunned down; one bullet hole right in the left side of his chest. He was no threat to anyone now so she stood up and embraced Joel, sniffling a little bit. 

“It’s all right, it’s all right,” he hugged her tightly. “do you hurt anywhere?” 

“No.” she answered. The belly jumped again as the unseen occupant stuck out a foot. Joel giggled, tracing it with his finger until it retracted. 

“She’s getting destructive in there.” the two of them turned to see that another paramedic on call was examining Arthur and heard that he was pronounced dead. 

“Well, closure at least. Come on babe, let’s go home.” with a nod and thank you from Sylvia, Katherine returned the equipment and allowed Joel to take her home. 

**

“Well well!” Joel chirped happily back at the house. “I shouldn’t be happy at someone’s death but I am relieved that your life isn’t in danger anymore!” 

“I shouldn’t either I know,” Katherine decided then shrugged. “a police shootout is so messy! I’m glad you weren’t attending to him or I’d have been really pissed.” 

“Sylvia thought that it was best I didn’t. Emotional connection.” 

“All I have to do now is push this baby out and we can start our lives as a family.” 

“I was thinking about that,” Joel sat on the couch with Katherine, one hand pressed against her baby belly, the other taking her hand. “you were nine weeks at the start of September, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You should be due at the last week of May.” the firefighter pushed up her shirt, lightly moving his hand up and down to coax the baby to push him. “then again first born children are usually late to some degree.” 

“I’m thinking after school is done which will be in another two weeks.” she didn’t want to be in the school til the end of term but the baby wasn’t keen on being born either so it was a stalemate at the best. 

“Are you keen to go into labor before or after school ends?” no movement. Disappointed, Joel put a hand down further. 

“The baby’s getting her morning nap in. Oh, look!” a little jump in Katherine’s belly made her giggle. About twenty seconds later another jump. “That’s weird. She never does anything so rhythmic I guess is the right word.” It took a few more minutes of staring and the perfectly timed jumps for the expectant mother to realize what was going on. “Oh, I think she has the hiccups!” 

“This is so goddamn weird even for me.” 

“Right? I’ve never seen her get hiccups before. Let’s see if we can get her to perform for us.” 

“No, we can wait on that. If she needs sleep she’ll get it.” Katherine put her hand on Joel’s that was caressing her bump so lovingly, then kissed it. 

“I love you so much.” 

“I love you too.” he leaned down and kissed her deeply, pressing their hands on the belly. The baby seemed determined to sleep on despite the hiccups and did so as she slipped further down, burying her head inside her mother’s pelvis which enabled Katherine to take deep breaths again. 

**

Three days later it was June first. Katherine’s maternity leave started as soon as school ended that day so she put all her notes, etc into the desk, locked it, then brought her empty briefcase into the car. Joel had just gotten off a shift and he was sleeping so she could afford to dawdle on her way home. She gave the desk key to the assistant principal, accepted her friendly best wishes, then turned to the doors to see the students on the bus. 

“It’s strange to think that a year ago this is where I met Joel,” she mumbled as she picked up her purse and left. “this isn’t goodbye forever though. I don’t want to have this baby!” Getting into her car was a challenge. She put the seat as far back as possible and she could drive but the steering wheel touched her belly and the baby hated that a lot. Katherine got home safely, got herself out of the car, took her things and went into the house. 

“I’m home for good!” she cheered herself on, marching upstairs, putting her briefcase away in the hall closet. “Kick away at me now, baby girl! I like being pregnant too much to give birth to you!” Katherine unbuttoned her shirt and let the stomach hang out, tucking her skirt down so the whole spherical protrusion was unrestrained. The baby was having nap time so she didn’t respond to Katherine’s little attempt to get her moving. 

Joel was still sleeping in the bedroom and it was suppertime. Katherine put on a tune as she rummaged around in the kitchen, singing with Def Leppard. The teacher put together a good supper and was about to serve it up when a pair of hands appeared on her shoulders and proceeded to neck her all the way down to her fingertips. 

“Wanna pour some sugar on me later?” 

“No, I wanna do it right now,” Joel giggled. “but I am so hungry. What did you make?” 

“A quick spaghetti. Come on now.” they had supper together and watched some TV until 8 PM when Katherine turned to Joel. 

“It’s my first day of maternity leave even though she’s not here yet. I have some fun stuff for us planned tonight.” 

“Oh, sexy fun?” 

“Very sexy fun. I want some dick!” she rubbed Joel’s crotch teasingly. 

“You’re overdue now aren’t you? About three days I think.” he passed one hand over the belly, wondering if he should be concerned. 

“Yeah but I’m not too worried about that. Come on to the bedroom where I’ll let you lavish me with anything you want.” 

“Lead on.” 

In the bedroom Katherine stripped down but covered up her downstairs with the sheet. Lazily she stretched out on the bed and told Joel to do what he wanted to her. “I know you got a belly fetish thing going on so go to town.” 

Joel took the lotion bottle, put a generous measure on the very top of Katherine’s belly and began to rub it in slowly, loving every curve that his girlfriend possessed. Underneath he saw a little movement like another episode of hiccups. “Did you feel that?” 

“No. It’s time for her to be active so watch out.” the teacher warned him, putting one hand up behind her head. 

The firefighter put his hands all over the big belly, pressing a few kisses over it but the baby didn’t move. “She was active today, right?” 

“Very. Hang on, let me see if I can move her around,” Katherine tried a few movements with her belly and was rewarded when she felt a sharp kick. “there we go!” 

“Oh she’s moving now!” the unborn baby kicked and punched, then Joel saw a protrusion like an arm stretching out back and forth a few times. He touched it, it felt like a tiny fist, then it disappeared. “Before she turned head down I used to see her head loom up like a shark and go back down.” 

“Wow!” Joel saw more movement, a heel stuck out, then a little hand again. It was almost serpentine the way it moved back and forth then receded. The firefighter saw a ripple like movement at the top of Katherine’s belly as he moved back to join her. The both of them ignored the belly for a moment as they started making out then Katherine alerted his attention to something. 

“What?” her navel seemed to appear and disappear as Kelsey seemed determined on breaking out of her mother more and more. More arm movements at both sides and a tiny little fist lashed out. 

“She’s trying so hard but my body isn’t budging.” 

“Well maybe the sex will push her out for good,” when Katherine was good and ready Joel stuck a few fingers inside of his girlfriend, ready to impale her on his hard on. “you’re a few centimeters dilated down here.” 

“That’s normal, right?” 

“Yep! Let’s see if I can still get you off-the baby’s really in the way! Want to try doggie style?” 

“With all that weight in front of me?” 

“We can stand up and do it.” 

“Let’s try it.” Katherine stood up by the dresser and waited for Joel to get behind her. She moaned as he slipped his hard dick inside her folds and grasping her waist he went to town. The repeated thrusting and the tight clenching of her hips made the teacher feel extremely horny as Joel leaned down and kissed her neck. 

“Oh god!” she came hard as he did. The firefighter slipped out of her, cleaned them both up, and exhausted after that session, went to bed.


	21. Chapter 21

A week later Katherine was still pregnant. She and Joel were both at home and having sex multiple times a day as a way to get her to go into labor though Katherine didn’t want to. It was as if the baby sensed her reluctance and was content to stay inside her mother for as long as possible. She got all her needs catered for inside her mother and was content to stay where her parents had put her so what was the rush? The teacher thought among the same lines as she used the heel of her hand to rub lotion into her huge belly, talking to Joel. 

“You really do have a pregnancy fetish, Joel. I think I know how to satisfy that and make some cash on the side.” 

“You do?” 

“Come on, surrogacy is great. I can make a lot of money, take care of Kelsey and you can have the satisfaction of pure unbridled sex with me for nine months without worry. Hasn’t it been fun not worrying about birth control while I’ve been pregnant?” 

“Well,” the belly loomed up in front of him as she sat up on the couch. “it does something to me I admit. Does this mean you’d be a surrogate full time and stop teaching?” 

“Well no,” she told him. “I still want to teach but this would be a great side job.” 

“Still it’s not mine in there and I won’t feel like a man,” the baby angrily kicked. “I didn’t mean you, Kelsey!” 

“When we’re ready to have another child I will gladly let you impregnate me. It’s not like I’m saying you can’t ever knock me up again.” 

“I wasn’t worried about that,” he deep kissed her, passing a hand over the gargantuan bump which shook. “now that I know what your intentions are and I do have a bit of a fetish thing going on how will you meet sterile couples?” 

“I sign on as a free agent with an agency. They need to interview me, decide if I’m right, then they go ahead and inseminate me.” 

“The guy doesn’t fuck you, right?” 

“Nope! It’s their embryo which has been through IVF and they implant that inside me. They usually do two at a time so at least one takes. The clincher for you and your belly worship is that I could easily have twins.” 

“Wow!” Joel’s eyes lit up. “Kelsey, time to get out of there!” 

Katherine laughed as he pulled her into his lap and made her lie down so he could talk to the belly directly. “I think it’s time for you to get out of your mother and make an appearance! Other babies will need their time inside your mom so she can keep giving the gift of life!” 

“Ow! God that hurt a lot!” the teacher exclaimed. “My back!” 

“Your back? That could be a sign of labor.” 

“Oh I hope so!” Joel quickly positioned Katherine on the couch, slid her skirt off and examined her. 

“You’re almost completely dilated. How long have you been feeling back pain?” 

“Since I got up this morning.” 

“It’s pretty close to transition time for you I think. You could have been in labor for a bit and not known it if it was the sharp back pain only. Has the baby been more active and aggressive today?”

“Yeah.” 

“Do you want to go to the hospital or stay here?” 

“I would like to stay here. Are you confident in delivering me?” 

“My skills are impeccable! I’ve delivered at least 20 babies including that one I told you about months ago.” 

“All right then.” 

“Just be on alert for when your water breaks and let me know when it happens.” 

“OK.” she draped her belly in a cold pack to try to ease off some pain. Joel brought her a robe, helped her to stand up so he could put it on her. He tied the sash on top of her bump while she fought her way through a contraction. “With each contraction she kicks me.” right on cue the bump bounced and shook. “She’s trying to get out too.” 

“A little audience participation then.” he tried to make her laugh but it didn’t work. 

Throughout the day Katherine labored on under Joel’s watchful eye. He was never far from her and when she played piano music to soothe her it also soothed him to some degree. The late afternoon sun was almost gone from the June sky when the teacher stopped playing and went upstairs. 

“What is it?” he was right there as she emerged from the bathroom. 

“My water broke.” 

“It’s time then!” Joel took his first aid kit and made Katherine lie down on the bed, spreading some old clean towels down. Katherine could easily feel the baby’s head engage her pelvis, starting on her descent downwards. The firefighter applied a hot compress to Katherine’s perineum to prevent tearing, encouraging her to push when she felt ready. At the first push it felt like nothing had happened but on a few more Katherine felt a hot burning sensation overtake her. 

“What the hell is that!” she cried, wiping sweat off of her face. 

“She’s crowning!” was all Joel said. “Oh, she’s got blonde hair!” he took Katherine’s hand and had her feel what was going on. 

“Oh, my baby’s finally coming!” 

“She sure is! I guess she listens to her daddy!” Joel teased, making Katherine gear up and push again. She could feel the weight that was the baby pressing down on her vagina and she pushed one more time. “Head’s out!” the teacher took a moment to breathe then pushed out a shoulder. The biggest part of the baby had already been cleared and Katherine breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the rest of the baby slide from inside her to the outside world without a problem. 

A high pitched cry was heard and Joel started chuckling as he cleaned off the little girl, clamped down the cord and cut it. He did Apgar scores on her, gave her a bath in the kitchen sink, then swaddled her up securely. 

“Katherine, honey?” the teacher was wiping the sweat off of her face and looked up, smiling to see Joel bring their daughter to her. “Time to meet Kelsey Anne Harrison.” 

“My little uterine invader,” she gladly took the bundle from Joel. “you tore my guts apart for 9 long months.” 

“She turned our lives upside down,” Joel joined her on the bed. “you’ve got about twenty or so minutes before I deliver the afterbirth.” 

“Right.” 

“You’re completely wiped out aren’t you? And you want to do this for other people?”

“It’s that feeling of life inside me, Joel. I like feeling the baby move and kick and I could easily get addicted to that. It’s nice knowing that I’m not alone when you’re out on duty. I kind of hope that I get to carry twins and feel them moving too.” 

“You’re really stuck on that? I guess I understand where you’re coming from. You get emotionally attached to her for 9 long months and now she’s finally out you wish she was back in. The promise of a big twin belly is hard to top but you’re in great shape so I can’t say no.” 

“I’m only 31,” she reminded him, giving him a long kiss. “plenty of childbearing years ahead of me and room for you if you want another one in a few years.” 

“I have to wait while you pop off babies left and right?” he pretended to be offended. 

“One kid in diapers at a time.” 

“Can’t argue with mom logic. I want you to have twins with the first pair that you meet, understand?” 

“Agreed. This is like the perfect business deal. We all get what we want.” Kelsey was watching her parents with bright eyes then started to fuss a little bit. 

“I think she’s hungry.” 

“You know where the formula is.” 

“Right but I want you to try nursing first all right, just try.” he tried to help her get comfortable then they tried to get Kelsey to latch on but she would not do it. 

“Any other ideas, genius?” Joel left the room and made up a bottle. He took Kelsey for a moment and got her to drink from the bottle successfully. It didn’t take long for the baby to be sated so Joel put her in the modified crib in the nursery and saw Katherine making pained faces again. He donned rubber gloves, sat down at the foot of the bed then delivered the afterbirth. 

“You’re a lifesaver, honey.” the teacher kissed Joel sweetly. “I’m so glad to have you in my life.” 

“Ditto. I’ll have to go report the birth tomorrow morning but for now I want you to sleep.” 

“You too. I know it could not have been easy on you to do this.” 

“I will.” he cleaned her up then took a few moments to shed some happy tears as he watched Kelsey sleep. Reaching down he touched her, hardly believing that the perfect little daughter he now had was the culprit of so much inner bodily assault just yesterday. Joel remembered when Katherine told him that she was pregnant, her uterus grew progressively bigger. The Fireman’s Ball when she had not been showing at all, that January when he’d gotten mad at Katherine and she had fled without warning, the Valentine’s Day dance at the hotel when she was six months pregnant, her belly making a little mountain in her dress.. The nights when they’d had sex and Joel had to readjust himself to give the belly more and more clearance, the death of Charlie when Katherine was 8 months pregnant, then Katherine helping to bring her ex to justice. That had been a nerve wracking time for all involved. 

Through it all the unborn baby had flourished, thriving inside her mother, oblivious to the outside world. Whenever Katherine had been distressed or moody about something a little kick or push from the inside could make her smile and be reassured that better things were coming. 

Joel finally understood completely what being pregnant was all about to Katherine so he wasn’t going to put up a fight about her being a surrogate. He pulled out his phone and paged through photos of Katherine’s growing belly he’d taken. A week ago he’d taken the last photo, made a video of the belly progression and put it on Youtube. 

The firefighter accessed the video he’d made of Katherine’s nine month belly also last week of her being very active, already missing the movements she’d liked to make. 

“She won’t get any grief from me if she does decide to do surrogacy.” he mumbled and feeling tired went to bed. 

**

ONE YEAR LATER

“Come on, Kelsey!” Joel picked up his little girl, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Ben peered around the corner of the fire engine, smiling as Joel’s daughter gave him a big silly grin. “Mom’s gonna be by in a minute to pick you up but look at this!” he showed her the fire engine with glee. 

Kelsey didn’t talk much yet but she made happy noises as Joel sat in the fire engine with her in his lap for a few minutes. Ben scrubbed away at his turnout gear, feeling pretty happy recently since his girlfriend had agreed to marry him a few weeks ago. 

The firehouse hadn’t changed that much during the past year; Charlie’s picture smiled down at them from the living room area. Chief Farris had selected a new firefighter to help staff the firehouse who had fiery red and blonde hair, green eyes and was ex military medic. Steve Gleason was a great guy, very rugged and capable and able to outdo anyone on the weight machines. He was as tall as Joel was but quite muscular. The new firefighter got on easily with his new coworkers and was a great fit all around. Steve also worked as a fitness trainer on the side and he got Katherine on a full body workout to get her back in shape post baby. 

“Knock knock,” Katherine called, stepping into the garage. “hey, Ben! How are you and your girlfriend doing?” 

“We’re getting married!” 

“Aw, congratulations!” she hugged him happily. 

“Your boyfriend and the little sprout are over there.” he indicated with a grin. Ben seldom grinned so Katherine knew his girlfriend had a big positive effect on him. 

“Thanks. Hey, time to head home now!” 

“Mama!” the baby squealed, holding out her hands to be picked up. Katherine did so while Joel slid out of the cab. 

“The thanks I get!” he teased. “So what did the doctor say?” 

“He says I am in great shape to carry another baby. All that hard work really paid off-I feel great!” 

“You look great, rowr!” he growled playfully, smacking her butt.

“Oh, don’t knock me up before this couple has a chance to do it!” 

The two of them with Kelsey in tow walked to their cars. Joel strapped his daughter into Katherine’s car then turned to face his girlfriend. 

“It’s a freaking miracle I haven’t knocked you up in the past year.” the cold January air bit their noses. “You and that body making me mad with lust and desire, those cute boobs just beckoning me to come over and have a feel!” 

Katherine shut the door to the car. “I don’t want Kelsey picking up your dirty talk! That’s eighteen years in the future! Yes, I think the year of the diaphragm has been a successful one. What did you expect, your super sperm to melt through the plastic and just invade my uterus like the invasion of Normandy?” 

“I tried. You know, I was looking at the video of your pregnant belly progression and realizing that I missed it. I haven’t got anything to hold onto now when we have sex.” he kissed her deeply. 

“Ooh, careful you’ll awaken the pussy monster. So you won’t have any objections to me becoming pregnant for a sterile couple?” 

“No. Just you get as many in there as possible. I wanna feel them moving inside you like Kelsey did.” 

“Oh, I’ve now become a breeder,” she kissed Joel. “I am in my fertile window and I get inseminated tomorrow. It’ll take two weeks to know whether I got knocked up or not.” 

“Those weeks will be so long.” he pouted, earning a laugh from Katherine. 

“Stay out of trouble.” 

“Moi?” Joel pretended to be offended. “Bye, Kelsey!” 

**

The next day Katherine arrived at the clinic early, gowned up and lay down on the exam table, putting her feet in the stirrups. She was reliving a memory of Kelsey kicking her when she was 7 months pregnant, looking at the illustrations on the wall when the doctor came in. 

“Ready to get pregnant?” she showed the teacher a syringe with three embryos inside it. The doctor threaded the long tube into Katherine’s vagina. “Your cervix is perfect-nice and open, very soft, and here we go!” she reached the body of the uterus, looking for a nice place to deposit the embryos. “This looks like a nice safe spot.” she put one on the left, one on the right, and one a little further down just for insurance. 

“I’m looking forward to being pregnant again.” 

“I can imagine! It’s hard to let go of a little life after it’s been inside you for so long. Now I want you to relax for about thirty minutes here with those legs up then you can go.” 

“All right.” the doctor left the room while Katherine pulled out her phone and accessed Joel’s video of her pregnant belly progression. She found some video of Kelsey moving inside her which also caused a pain of longing. 

“Soon it’ll happen,” she promised herself. Kelsey was getting big and even though the baby or babies inside her were not hers or Joel’s, she would take the best care of those precious little lives. “I hope at least two of these take root.” 

There was no way to know whether they’d implanted inside her until she took a pregnancy test in two weeks so when the 30 minutes were up Katherine left and went about her daily business. She picked up Kelsey from her grandma’s house, returning home the same time Joel got back from his shift. He kissed both of his girls happily, asking how Katherine’s appointment. 

“Feeling pregnant yet?” he sat next to her on the couch after Kelsey had been put to bed. 

“No. I won’t know for at least two weeks so I can officially be late,” she told him, giving him a kiss. “I can’t have sex until it’s confirmed.” 

“Two weeks?” Joel pretended to be outraged. “Never mind, I can hold out. This means we won’t know if you’re pregnant until February.” 

“Think of it as a Valentine’s Day gift for both of us. If I do indeed wind up carrying twins I could develop a little belly after 6 weeks. Two means twice the amount of work.” 

“Twice the fun.” he put his hand on her pelvis like he was telling the twins to implant successfully. 

TWO WEEKS LATER

Katherine had just finished putting her things away in her desk when her cell phone rang, indicating that the doctor’s office was calling her. She dragged the green bar over and accepted the call. 

“Hello?”

“Hi, Katherine!” the doctor’s tone was bright and cheerful. “Looks like you are about five weeks pregnant which we definitely want! The parents are thrilled. In another five weeks we need to do a dating ultrasound which you’re familiar with. The test levels were higher than we thought they would be so it’s very likely you’ll be pregnant with twins. Have you noticed any symptoms?” 

“I spotted a little bit and I have a bit of discharge.” 

“A few good signs right there! I set up an appointment for you for a ten week dating ultrasound which brings it to the last week of February. If all goes well you should be giving birth around September.” 

“When school starts. No problem.” 

“I didn’t think you’d be too fussed about that. Now, the parents want to be informed of all the developments but they won’t be attending the appointments. It’s a strict no contact surrogacy which you’re aware of.” 

“Yes but it is their child or children. They don’t want to touch my belly when it moves, what gives?” 

Dr. Tibbetts paused. “You’re their second surrogate, Katherine. The first one took all their money and would not give up the baby. I think they’re protecting themselves in case they get their hearts broken again.” 

“Oh I see. Well, Joel will be thrilled.” 

“Your husband?” 

“Yes.” even though they were not married Kelsey had his last name and Katherine had officially taken his last name as well. They were married in everything but the eyes of the law which neither one cared about. 

“Well, he can join you on appointments if he wants to. Sometimes guys get a little neurotic when their wives are carrying other peoples’ children.” 

“He’ll give me the support. So in the meantime I see you in the last week of February?”

“Yeah. Be aware you could start showing at maybe 6-10 weeks.” they hung up, Katherine’s mind was buzzing. In the car under the low light of the cold January day, she flipped up her shirt to try to see if there was a bump but of course nothing yet. 

Joel was taking care of Kelsey who had a little cold when Katherine breezed in through the door looking very satisfied with herself. She took Joel out of Kelsey’s room, into their room, and began making out with him heavily. The teacher pounced on Joel with a little growl, straddled him with a gleeful look on her face and unbuttoned his pants. 

“Good news, huh?” usually he was the instigator and had to wait while she put her diaphragm in but not that night. 

“Yes. I had a blood test done and they said the results are higher hCG than before so there’s a good possibility that you got your wish.” 

“Twins?” his eyes lit up while Katherine smiled, placing one hand to her belly. “I missed that.” 

“There is a chance that I could be carrying triplets if all 3 took root.” 

“Wow! You knock me down with good news!” 

“We’ll see at the dating ultrasound in 5 weeks!” Katherine pushed Joel down on the bed and ran her hand down to his crotch.. 

THE END

Stay tuned for the second story: Surrogacy Journey!


End file.
